Boba: Classic, Fun, Refreshing - Bubble Teas to Make at Home Hardcover – November 3, 2020

Bought this book to learn the basics of Boba in preparation to launch bubble tea in my shop. Wow! Terrific writing, very easy to read, super informative and perfect for the purpose. Stacey and Beyah make Boba fun and easy for anyone to make their own tasty treat!

pics, narrative and do-able recipes

Most Americans call boba “bubble tea” but for Asians like us, boba is any drink that has dark sweetened tapioca balls, which could be tea, juice, or shake. I’m more of a shake girl.I was very lucky to have picked this book because I have been contemplating making my own boba because I live in what I call a “boba dessert.” I have to drive to the edge of town to get one at a Korean bakery and they are quite pricey. Buying ingredients online is an option but most flavors come in powder form so I’m assuming not organic or laden with chemicals. What sets this book apart is that the owners of Milk + T, Stacey Wong and Beyah del Mundo, have created the most entertaining “cookbook” I’ve read so far. It feels like I’m just sitting with them and enjoying my favorite boba. Unfortunately, their stories included a bipolar food truck named Lyla and some naysayers. They did have the support of their immediate family. And they now have brick and mortar shops.The book is gorgeous – I’m surprised it’s hardbound with nice thick pages. I love the cute pink cover with a matching boba drink. Inside, Stacey and Beyah have included the origins of boba (Taiwan) as well as the story of how the two young women met and became entrepreneurs.The book contains boba basics such as brewing both black and green tea plus choosing between 5-minute boba or Grade A boba and how to cook them. In my experience, this is my Achilles heel. These balls have a tendency to stick together, stick to the bottom of the pot and sometimes burn so I appreciate the instructions. In Asia, you can buy them precooked and soaking in brown sugar syrup. I miss that convenience! The authors also included is a recipe for making fresh boba.They have been generous in including their homemade sweeteners (yay! No high-fructose corn syrup), different types of bases (tea, lactose-free milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc.) and different toppings (basil and chia seeds, almond, lychee, aloe vera and grass jelly, which would surprise some because it is black). It’s not literally grass from some lawn but from Chinese mesona, a plant from the mint family. The recipes run the gamut from traditional milk tea to specialty tea drinks. There are also recipes for fruit teas and other drinks made with homemade fruit jams and syrups.I love the names they give their drinks which are so creative yet fitting like Lady Bug (a watermelon-strawberry black tea), the Piglet (strawberry coconut milk), Know Your Roots (a mix of taro and ube or purple yam and almond milk), Guilt Trip (which has the works: whole milk, brown sugar, caramel and chocolate syrups plus a scoop of ice cream and a chocolate wafer stick) and Night Shift (a picker-upper as a homage to night shift workers, made with black tea, lactose-free milk, peanut butter and chocolate syrups topped with ice cream of your choice).There’s a lot more and I wish I could list them all. Stacey and Beyah end the book with their plans for the future as women entrepreneurs and create unique drinks not found in other boba shops. And because they are as sweet as some of the creations, they also give encouragement to others who are considering starting their own business. More power to you both! You just made a fellow Asian very happy!

The Boba Bubble Teas to Make at Home recipe book is a great gift to give any boba lover. This book covers all things you'd need to make the many variations that boba have to offer including black milk tea, green milk tea, variations of homemade fruit teas, taro milk tea, and even over the top ice cream monstrosities that would make your kids buzz harder than a hummingbird on speed. The recipes are easy to follow and I love how they don't rely on instant mixes, jams, or syrups, but instead rely on syrups and jams you make on your own. The ingredients lists are generally very short and include items that are easily found in most grocery stores, and all of the recipes can be modified so that you can include more or less sugar, depending on your taste. This book also includes information on some of the topping you may want to add besides boba, such as basil seeds, chia seeds, as well as recipes for almond and egg jellies. Unfortunately, if you like things like popping boba, lychee jelly, rainbow jelly, and the like, you're going to have to find those in your stores because there are no recipes for specialty ingredients such as those. Unfortunately, there are no links on where to source some of the ingredients, but you'll likely be able to find them easily online. The book is full of beautiful photos of the drinks offered, and there are a few fun stories on how the authors met and some stories on the road, information about ingredients and equipment you'd use to make your teas, as well the "science behind the ice". These little extras are fun to read and it's nice to get to know both authors a little better. Overall, it's a great book to add to the shelf of any bobaholic.

I know there are 1 million recipes available online these days. I feel like it’s still nice to have some hard back cookbooks. Usually the illustrations are attractive, they still look great as kitchen decor and sometimes it’s just nice to have something hard to hold and flip through.My daughter loves Boba tea and wanted to try to make some. We have tried a few recipes that turned out pretty good online. After seeing that she was interested in her own recipes, I decided to get her a cookbook that we could use at the house.The book is a nice size and hardback. It’s a comfortable size to hold and measures 6 3/4 inches long by 8 1/2 inches tall. It’s a hardback book so it is sure to make it through the years. I figure even after she has her own house she will have some of her personal cookbooks to take with her. I also like the idea that she will remember the quarantine and spending quality time with mom making Boba beverages.The recipes are straightforward. There is a clear list of ingredients as well as steps. Throughout the book there are not only recipes but little anecdotes and information. Flipping through the book, I feel like there’s not one that doesn’t look good. The photographs are very well done. They are clear and colorful. I really like the book because there are combinations that I never would have even thought of. It pushes us outside of our comfort zone of doing basics. Of course, the trick to some of these things are finding the more exotic ingredients.

Belles recettes

Not really for me. More stories than recipes. Suitable for people who loves reading about how people became a successful business person.

It tells you how to brew whichever kind of tea you use for best finished product. There is a slushie option and it tells you how much ice to use.

Love this book.