Sometimes a boring old morning black tea isn’t enough for your taste buds; sometimes you need much more than a mango smoothie as your bubble tea base, and what about coffee? You have to mix it up a little besides taking it plain black. The fun part about these drinks is that there are so many ways to take and explore them. Throw out those misconceptions about it being weird to try new things: it’s just called being adventurous and fun. In this article, I’ll talk about some tea-rade secrets I’ve learned throughout the years.
- “Oh honey, ain’t it funny”
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The funny part about honey is it can substitute sugar in just about anything. Although when it comes to bubble teas, honey is a bit of a sticky tease. It’s mostly because bubble tea isn’t usually hot when being served, so it doesn’t dissolve when being added. Making the bubble tea with honey does have the same effect though. It just leaves the drink a little bit stickier. Honey is the natural and much healthier way to make boba. The honey dissolves at a different pace than sugar would.
Personally, I can’t stand honey in coffee, especially nutty tasting coffees. I feel like it takes away from the taste of the coffee with the smooth and sweet taste, but I’m not opposed to friends trying it. With peppermint mochas or even just peppermint tea, I guess it’s just mint to be.
- “I want boba-dy but you”
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There’s a lot of different ways to make tapioca. I usually cook it in boiling water for 33 minutes and let it sit for 30 minutes, then pour it out into a strainer and blanch it to stop the cooking. I know it sounds like a long time, and you’re probably kind of wondering how shops make it so quickly. They’re actually prestocked and stored in the fridge for orders like yours. Make sure you stir in the sugar when you get your drink.
- “I like you a latte”
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Ever tried a tea or coffee latte, especially in your favorite non citrus/sour flavor? It’s amazing. You may be asking, “what do you mean non citrus flavor? What’s wrong with citrus as a latte?” Well, let me tell you the lesson this worker at David’s Tea and I learned one day trying to mix milk with a raspberry orange tea. We were silly and didn’t listen to the manager about it when she insisted not to do it. When the worker told me to try it, all I could feel was curdled milk going up my straw. Nasty, I know. The lesson here is lattes can be “pitcher” perfect, unless you’re a silly goose like me.
Lattes are usually made half milk, so it can be soy, regular or even coconut. If it is coconut, make sure you use sweetened if you want to avoid extra sugar. After, you add half coffee or tea. You add ¾ of the cup you’ll be using with ice, and fill yourself (c)up.
- “Bubbles, Toile and Troubles”
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“Bubbles? What about bubbles?” You might be asking. Well, it’s actually soda. Not just any sodas though, as it’s usually club soda and ginger ale for this sort of thing. Sometimes you’ll mix a bit of tea or milk tea with it. Aim to fill about ¾ of the cup with soda and the rest tea. Remember, this does not apply for coffee at all, or you’ll end up with tummy troubles instead of good bubbles.
- “Hey Mr Joka, would you like some Mocha.”
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Mocha is probably the simplest out of all the drinks that I’ve known of besides a latte (milk and a shot of espresso). It’s half and half: half hot chocolate, half coffee. Add whipped cream if that’s your thing.
With all those little snippets and tiny explanations for these drinks, I hope you have more fun with your drinks. There’s nothing wrong with trying something different, but it’s not for everyone and it’s okay to keep things the same if it’s not for you. Enjoy your drinks with that bit of positivi-tea in your life.
