Love matcha? Always looking forward to a good milkshake? Can't resist boba milk tea? What if you could have them all in one drink? This decadent Matcha Milkshake Boba could easily become one of your favourite summer treats. Besides, July is the National Ice Cream month, and the milkshake turned 100 this year. We are going to show you how to make the perfect icy cold, matchalicious, creamy milkshake boba in a matter of minutes.
What is matcha green tea?
Even if you are new to tea, there's a high chance you stumbled upon matcha tea. Matcha smoothies, matcha lattes and matcha frappes are literally everywhere. Every coffee shop chain has them, many local cafes serve them, and it's one of the best teas to have in your pantry if you love making both usual and unusual desserts.
Matcha is made from shaded, de-stalked, and deveined green tea leaves that have been shaded for 3-4 weeks before harvesting. Authentic matcha always comes from Japan and has a very green colour which can be more or less vibrant, but always green. Tea leaves are ground to a superfine powder that's traditionally prepared using chawan – a tea bowl and chasen – a tea whisk.
Can you use any matcha for making matcha drinks?
Yes, and no. The better the quality, the better your drink will be. That doesn't mean you should use the highest grades – in fact, middle range matcha will be the best for making drinks. But it has to be vibrant and fresh. Cooking grades or latte grades are perfect for making matcha drinks and are usually a more cost-effective option.
What is a milkshake?
Milkshake is a drink made with milk and ice. You can use any flavoured ice cream for making a milkshake, or you can add your own flavours. Milkshake should be creamy rather than watery, so the choice of ingredients will play an important role in making a perfect milkshake. Choose ice creams that are creamier, preferably made with dairy and a full fat milk. This recipe is made with dairy products; however, you can use plant-based alternatives.
What is boba tea?
Boba or bubble tea is a Taiwanese drink served with tapioca pearls. There are hundreds of boba tea flavours, and not all of them contain tea. The most important ingredient is not tea at all, but chewy tapioca pearls or fruit jellies. We used Wu Fu Yuan black tapioca pearls. They are easy to boil, and reduce the time needed to make this drink significantly.
Ingredients for making Matcha Milkshake Boba
To make Matcha Milkshake boba you will need some essential ingredients – matcha green tea, boba or tapioca pearls, honey, ice and vanilla dairy ice-cream. Other ingredients are optional, but highly recommended.
Matcha Milkshake Boba Tea
Equipment
- Eectrict frother
- Small or medium saucepan
- 2 small cups
- Teaspoon
- Blender
- Ice cream scoop or regular tablespoon
- Colander
- Small kitchen sifter
- Kettle
Ingredients
- 30 grams of boba pearls
- 6 large ice cubes
- ½ teaspoon of matcha powder
- 75 ml of milk
- 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
- 5 heaped tablespoons or scoops of ice cream
- 3 fresh mint leaves (optional)
- ½ teaspoon of honey
- 1 litre of water for boiling pearls
- 2 teaspoons of freshly boiled water, cooled downto 80 degrees Celsius
- whipped cream for garnish (optional)
Instructions
For tapioca pearls
- Add water to a smaller or medium sized saucepanand bring it to a boil.
- Add tapioca pearls and wait until they float to the top.
- Cover and simmer for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave them for another 2 minutes.
- Strain them through a colander until running cold water.
- Use a small cup to mix boiled pearl with ½teaspoon of honey. You don't need to use too much honey as the drink willalready be sweet enough.
For making matcha tea base
- Bring fresh water to a boil and let it cool down to 80 degrees Celsius.
- Sift ½ teaspoon of matcha into a smaller cup.
- Add only 2 teaspoons of water to matcha powder.
- Mix it using a small electric frother or,alternatively, using a spoon. There should be no clumps.
For assembling the drink
- Add milk, 2 ice cubes, a few fresh mint leaves (optional), 2 spoons of whipping cream (optional) and matcha into a blender and blend for 30 seconds, or until the ice isc rushed.
- Add ice cream to a blender and blend only for a few seconds, until the drink is well mixed.
- Add the remaining ice to a glass.
- Pour the drink into a glass and add tapioca pearls.
- Top up with whipped cream. (optional)
- Add a large straw and enjoy.