I was first introduced to bubble tea in Queens, New York, by my uncle Eugene. On my first sip I nearly choked on the unexpected pearl that lodged in my throat. Little did I know that soon after I would be moving to the bubble tea motherland—Taiwan. There, I walked past at least four bubble tea shops on my way to school every morning, each with a long list of drink variations including add-ins like bu ding (pudding) and chrysanthemum. Most afternoons, I walked home, up Yang Ming Mountain, to get bubble tea with friends. Bubble tea was present at every celebration we had at school, served as a snack the same way pizza or cans of soda might be at American celebrations. Bubble tea has to be the best representation of Taiwan in a drink. You can now find it served in creative ways all over the world, but the most classic iteration is simple: cold black tea, milk, and tapioca pearls.
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
Tapioca Pearls
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
Tea
- 2 bags black tea, or 2 tablespoons loose black tea of your choice
- Ice
- 2 tablespoons Coconut
- Sugar Simple Syrup (page 123), or more to taste
- 2 cups sweetened or unsweetened plant milk of your choice
Method
- Start by preparing the tapioca pearls: Place the tapioca flour in a medium heatproof bowl. Place the coconut sugar in a small pot. Bring a teakettle of water to a boil and pour 3 tablespoons of the boiling water into the sugar. Stir until completely dissolved. Bring the pot of sugar water a boil over low heat, then pour the hot sugar water into the bowl with the tapioca flour. Using a small spatula, stir until a sticky dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide into two parts. Roll out each into a long, thin strip about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into small pieces, about a 1⁄3 inch in length, and roll each piece into a tight ball. Depending upon your preference, you will want 1/4 to 1⁄3 cup of cooked tapioca pearls per serving. Cook immediately or, to store for later use, let them sit on the countertop, making sure no pieces are touching, to air-dry overnight, until completely dry. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry area or in the freezer.
- Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the tapioca pearls and boil until they float and become translucent, about 5 minutes; they will cook quickly. Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of lukewarm water to keep them from sticking.
- To prepare the black tea, bring 11/2 cups water to a boil in a kettle or pot and pour it over the tea bags or leaves in a pitcher. Let steep for 5 to 10 minutes, to your desired strength. If using tea leaves, strain after steeping.
- To assemble the drink, add ice to two tall glasses, followed by the cooked tapioca pearls. Spoon a tablespoon of simple syrup (recipe below) into each glass and top each with 3/4 cup brewed black tea and 1 cup plant milk. Enjoy!
Coconut Sugar Simple Syrup
This staple sweetener can be used to enhance drinks of all kinds, including mocktails and matcha lattes. I love using coconut sugar as the syrup base because it has a caramel-like flavour and is a great alternative to conventional sugar. If you’d like, you can even infuse the syrup with chamomile.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups, for 15 to 20 servings 
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut sugar (use light golden coconut sugar for a syrup that’s lighter in colour and flavour)
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1/2 cup fresh or dried chamomile flowers, optional
Method
Combine the coconut sugar and filtered water in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring to a low simmer, and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool. (For chamomile syrup, add the flowers while the mixture is simmering. Cool, then strain out the flowers.) Store the syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
By Remy Park at veggiekins
Excerpted from Sesame, Soy, Spice: 90 Asian-ish Vegan and Gluten-free Recipes to Reconnect, Root, and Restore © 2024 by Remy Morimoto Park. Photography © 2024 by Kristin Teig. Reproduced by permission of William Morrow Cookbooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.