Looking for something more fun than just a regular homemade black tea boba? Look no further. This unique blend of mouth-watering homemade syrup with fresh fruits, green tea and a milky texture is a must try for summer. It’s time to try a delicious Strawberry Lychee Milk Tea!
Why you should try strawberry lychee green tea boba
Let’s admit it. There might be dozens of super tasty seasonal fruits out there, but nothing will ever beat the classic strawberry. Especially when they are in season and taste like strawberries should taste – rich and sweet. Lychee is adding just enough uniqueness to this recipe not to be flat and common and green tea gives a healthy and complex base. This strawberry lychee milk tea is not too milky. It has just enough milk to add one more layer of flavour and improve the texture. And last, it’s chewy and fun to drink.
Need more inspiration? Find out how to make strawberry milk tea with black tea leaves.
Strawberry lychee boba tea ingredients
Fresh strawberries and lychee – To make this recipe, you will need at least 5 large fresh strawberries and 3 lychees to make a homemade version of a simple syrup. This is not a regular simple syrup, and it’s waterier and lighter on sugar. However, it’s filled with strawberry and lychee flavour. You won’t be able to get the same intense fruity flavour is you are using store-bought strawberry syrups, so it’s definitely worth investing some time to make it from a scratch. The instructions below are for making one serving.
Sugar – use regular white granulated sugar or light brown sugar to get a light nutty caramel note. You can replace it with a sugar alternative too. You will add sugar only to a homemade syrup; however, you can add more if you feel your drink needs some extra sweetness.
Green tea – green tea will give a perfect mellow and fresh base for this boba tea. Zhen mei (chun mei) green tea is strong enough to be blended with milk and fruits and still offers a recognisable green tea flavour. Other good choices are gunpowder, which is a tad stronger, and many Indian green teas. If you don’t have a suitable loose green tea, you may use green tea bags too. However, make sure it’s not overly bitter.
Coffee creamer – 1-2 teaspoons of coffee creamer will add a perfect milkiness while preserving all flavour notes. Alternatively, use half-and-half or evaporated milk. For a vegan strawberrylychee milk tea, use a vegan creamer alternative.
Lychee boba pearls – lychee flavoured boba pearls are less common than brown sugar tapioca pearls, but they are amazing for fruity boba teas. They are much more refreshing and just perfect for summer drinks. They are available in most Asian grocery stores and on Amazon.
Instruction for making boba tea
Make a lychee strawberry syrup first: wash and slice strawberries and peel lychees and remove the pit. Simmer them in a saucepan together with sugar and water over low heat until it thickens. You can add more sugar if needed. However, this will usually be enough if you love lightly sweetened drinks. You can add more fruits too. This is not a regular simple syrup, which is made with much more sugar.
Brew the tea – Use 2 heaped teaspoons of loose tea leaves per cup of water and steep longer than usual, about 5 minutes. This will help extract more flavour. Don’t over-steep it though, as the flavour will become too bitter and the colour too dark. You don’t need to cover it while steeping.
Cook tapioca pearls – follow the instruction on the packaging to cook the pearls. This will take less than 10 minutes. You’ll need a small saucepan, lid and water. To prevent overcooking, wash them in cold water once they are done and coat them with strawberry lychee syrup.
Assemble the drink: Once you have all the ingredients ready, including lychee boba pearls coated in a homemade syrup and brewed tea, start assembling strawberry lychee milk tea. Pour tea into the glass filled with ice first. Add your boba pearls with and all syrup, then add a creamer and stir.
Strawberry Lychee Milk Tea
Equipment
- Saucepan + lid
- Kitchen strainer
- Kettle
- Serving glass
- cup
Ingredients
Strawberry lychee syrup
- 5 large strawberries
- 3 lychees
- 2-4 teaspoons sugar
- 100 ml water
For cooking boba pearls
- 20 grams lychee boba pearls
- ½ litre water
For making green tea
- 220 ml freshly boiled water, 85°C or 185°F
- 2 heaped teaspoons green tea – zhen mei or similar tea
For assembling the drink
- 1 teaspoon coffee creamer
- Glass of ice
- sugar optional, if you need more sweetness
Instructions
Strawberry lychee syrup
- Wash and slice strawberries and add them to a small saucepan.
- Peel lychee and remove pits. Add lychee to a saucepan togther with strawberries.
- Add sugar and 100 ml of water and simmer on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes with occasional stirring.
- Strain the syrup into a small glass or a cup. If you want to remove all the fruit bits, use a cheesecloth. Otherwise, regular strainer will be fine. If you are using a cheesecloth, let it cool down first to prevent burning yourself.
For cooking boba pearls
- In a small saucepan, bring about ½ litre of water to a boil.
- Add tapioca pearls and wait until they float to the surface.
- Cover and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Wash them with cold water immediately and coat with homemade strawberry syrup.
For making green tea
- In a kettle, bring water to a boil. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Steep 2 teaspoons of tea leaves in a cup of water (220 ml) for 5 minutes.
For assembling the drink
- Fill the large glass with ice.
- Strain the tea into a glass.
- Stir in cooked boba pearls together with a homemade strawberry syrup.
- Add one or two teaspoons of coffee creamer.
- Serve with a large straw or a latte spoon.