Known as an addictive drink with the sweet, creamy aroma of tea blended in milk along with chewy, irresistible white pearls. If you’re craving a glass of milk tea right now, there’s no need to go far, just make yourself a special glass of white pearl milk tea, as appealing as store-bought, with this recipe from Dien May XANH.
1. Traditional Milk Tea
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Preparation Time
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Traditional Milk Tea (Serves 1)
Black Tea 15g, Brown Sugar 20g, Creamy Milk Powder 60g (MT35 powder)
What is Black Tea (Red Tea)?
- Black tea, also known as red tea, is made from the fully fermented leaves and buds of the green tea plant.
- Red tea usually has a mild aroma, less astringent, and contains more caffeine than green tea, quite suitable for the taste of most Vietnamese people.
- In addition, red tea is also loved and preferred thanks to its easy storage. Compared to green tea, which can only be stored for 12 to 18 months, black tea can be stored for several years.
Equipment
Tea strainer, , , , ,…
How to Make Traditional Milk Tea
- 1
Steep the Tea
Put 15g of black tea into a tea strainer. Then, place it in a glass and add 200ml of boiling water (use a kettle to boil water faster), steep the tea for 15 minutes.
- 2
Mix the Milk Tea
After 15 minutes, remove the tea strainer and add 20g of brown sugar. Next, add 60g of creamy milk powder.
Stir gently with a spoon to completely dissolve the tea, brown sugar, and milk powder, creating a beautiful brown mixture.
- 3
Final Product
The finished milk tea has a light brown color thanks to the combination of black tea and creamy milk powder.
Especially, the milk tea is not overly sweet. When enjoying, you will feel the slightly bitter taste of tea, the mild sweetness of brown sugar, and the creamy feeling of milk powder, a true traditional milk tea taste.
2. White Pearls
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking Time
45 minutes
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Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for White Pearls (Serves 2)
White Sugar 250g (can be adjusted to taste), Soft Jelly Powder 4 tsp (jelly powder), Firm Jelly Powder 1 tsp (agar powder), Water 1 liter
Distinguishing Between Soft and Firm Jelly Powder
- Firm jelly powder will create firmness and a slight hardness to the final product. Meanwhile, soft jelly powder will create a softer, chewier texture compared to firm jelly powder.
- Soft jelly powder is often used to cook with fruit juices to create a beautiful clear white color. Firm jelly powder is often mixed with coffee, pandan leaves, or chocolate to add a different color to the final product.
Equipment
, bottle or container with a small tip to shape the pearls, , , ,…
How to Make White Pearls
- 1
Cook the Jelly Mixture
Heat 1 liter of water to a simmer (do not boil vigorously), then add 1 teaspoon of firm jelly powder and stir well. Next, mix the sugar with 4 teaspoons of soft jelly powder.
Add the sugar and soft jelly powder mixture to the pot and stir well until dissolved. Then, simmer until the mixture thickens slightly.
- 2
Shape the Pearls
Then pour the jelly mixture into a clean bottle with a pointed tip (like a pho sauce bottle and must be heat-resistant).
Tip: If you don’t have a heat-resistant bottle, let the mixture cool slightly but still lukewarm so it doesn’t solidify. We have to do this so that when we pour the mixture into the bottle, the bottle doesn’t shrink.
Prepare a large bowl of ice water, then pour about 1/2 cup of cooking oil into it so that the oil and water separate into layers.
Drop the jelly mixture into the bowl, drop by drop. Passing through the oil layer will form round pearls, which will then sink into the ice water to solidify.
- 3
Complete
Remove the pearls and rinse off the oil. Then, place the pearls in a small bowl, mix with sugar and a little lemon juice to enhance the flavor.
- 4
Final Product
Once finished, you can add the pearls to lemon tea or milk tea. The chewy, bouncy texture combined with the creamy milk tea or the tartness of lemon tea will surely not disappoint.
How to Store Leftover Milk Tea and White Pearls
- For milk tea, you can cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. However, you should consume the milk tea within a short period to avoid the milk tea forming a film or separating into two layers of milk and tea.
- For white pearls, put them in a plastic container, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Pearls should not be stored in the freezer because the soft jelly texture, when frozen and then thawed, will easily break down.
A creamy, fragrant glass with chewy pearls has been introduced with an extremely simple recipe, right? The summer heat will become much more bearable with this refreshing iced milk tea! Try making it now, Dien May XANH wishes you success!
*Recipe and images adapted from the YouTube channel Nino’s Home
