What is Boba?
You may have heard of boba or bubble tea before, but what is it? Bubble tea has become an increasingly popular beverage around the world. It first originated in Taiwan in the 1980’s and commonly consists of flavored tea accompanied by sugar, milk, and chewy tapioca balls (boba or pearls). There is a common misconception that the name "bubble tea" refers to the appearance of the pearls, but it actually comes from the appearance of bubbles in the milk and tea blend after it has been shaken.
Bubble tea has many varieties and flavors including our all-time favorite, coffee! Today we will be showing you how you can mix up your daily coffee routine with a quick and easy iced coffee recipe featuring brown sugar boba. It’s sweet, creamy, cool, and chewy.
We love this with our new Ethiopian Essence Half Caf and Ethiopian Ceremony Decaf, but it would taste great with any of your favorite Savorista coffees!
How to make Brown Sugar Boba Iced Coffee
Step 1: Brew Cold Brew
Making a batch of cold brew can be done ahead of time! It is a simple task involving only two ingredients – coffee and water. Check out our previous blog for an easy cold brew recipe.
If you don’t have the time for cold brew, you can use iced coffee instead. Simply brew with double the amount of coffee to ice ratio so that it doesn’t become too weak as the ice melts.
Step 2: Prepare Brown Sugar Boba
Boba AKA tapioca pearls can be purchased at any local Asian food market and now is a great time to give extra support to your local Asian businesses Boba comes in a variety of flavors with this traditional black sugar being the most common.
Since these boba will be simmered in a syrup mixture, we don’t want to overcook them. Start by measuring 1/2c of boba and placing them into a heat-safe bowl. Cover with boiling water and let sit for 5 minutes.
In a saucepan combine 1/2c water and 1/2c of brown sugar over medium heat. Heat until the mixture reaches a gentle simmer. Strain your boba and add to brown sugar mixture. Simmer for 3-minutes until syrup begins to thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Step 3: Build your Brown Sugar Boba Iced Coffee
Now for the fun part. Grab your glass and fill it with 1/4c of the brown sugar boba. Top with Ice, 1c of cold brew, and 1/4c milk of your choice (we used vanilla almond milk). Mix it up and enjoy! You can either drink this with a large straw or use a spoon to scoop up the boba as you sip.
Let us know if you give this recipe a try! Snap a pic to share with your friends and tag us @Savoristacoffee on Instagram and Facebook!
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Here’s the full recipe:
Ethiopian Essence Cold Brew
-3/4c Whole beans coarsely ground
-3c water
Combine in a 1-quart mason jar. Allow to steep in the refrigerator overnight then strain.
Brown Sugar Boba (makes 2 servings)
-1/2c tapioca pearls softened by soaking in hot water for 5 minutes (buy dry pearls at your local Asian grocer to support local Asian businesses now)
-1/2c brown sugar
-1/2c water
Combine ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until syrup thickens.
Brown Sugar Boba Iced Coffee
-1/4c brown sugar boba
-1c Ethiopian Essence cold brew
-1/4c milk of your choice or creamer
Combine boba, cold brew and milk with ice in a tall glass.
