Milk tea is one of the best things to sip on during the summer.
Originating from Taiwan, bubble tea usually consists of sweetened black milk tea with milk and the characteristic chewy tapioca balls, also known as Boba Tea (delicious drink).
Milk tea comes in many ranges of tea flavors: plain tea flavors such as black tea, green tea, Boba Milk Tea, tea with tapioca pearls, or jasmine tea in the bubble tea market.
Boba shops use different types of tea, most of the time a robust black tea as the base before adding (almond milk, oat milk) milk, sugar simple syrup, cold water, spices, and other ingredients.
These black teas tend to have a full body and strong flavor that can stand up to the addition of other things without their flavor being lost.
In many cases, milk also helps soften the hearty, slightly astringent character of these teas and tea-based drinks, resulting in a mellower cup of tea without as much bite.
To know more about what kind of tea pairs well with milk, keep reading the article.
What Tea to use for Milk Tea?
You can use loose-leaf tea or tea bags to prepare milk tea, feel free to experiment!
A good cup of milk tea is one you enjoy drinking.
Some of the best teas to use include:
Assam Tea
Assam speculated to be the best tea with milk, is a robust black tea named after the Assam region of India in which it is grown.
It’s a popular tea for use in milk tea because of its full body and malty, spicy flavors.
Assam is often an ingredient in blends like Masala Chai and Irish Breakfast.
Now how to make Assam tea with milk is the biggest question.
- Boil 1 cup of water in a saucepan.
- Add the tea bag and let it steep for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the tea bag and add 1/2 cup of milk.
- Heat the mixture until it starts to simmer.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar, if desired.
- Serve hot in a cup. Enjoy your Assam tea with milk!
Ceylon
Ceylon is another hearty best black tea for milk tea and a sweetener like white sugar, simple syrup, condensed milk, or brown sugar syrup.
It originates from the country of Sri Lanka, which used to be called Ceylon under British colonial rule.
Organic Ceylon black tea is a rich, smooth, and highly aromatic black tea from Koslanda, Sri Lanka’s premier region for organic teas.
It makes a brisk cup with just a hint of spice.
Ceylon is a great tea to use for preparing Hong Kong Milk Tea. But between ceylon vs assam for milk tea, I personally think ceylon is better.
Nilgiri
Nilgiri is an Indian black tea named after the southern Indian region in which it is grown.
Not quite as strong as Assam, Niligiri still has a full body that stands up well to the addition of milk or sweetener like simple syrup.
Nilgiri has notes of honey and stone fruit and brews up a lovely copper color.
Star of India
Star of India is actually a blend of three different Indian black teas – Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri.
This creative blend gains strength and body from robust Assam, a mellow sweetness from Nilgiri, and a hint of astringency from Darjeeling.
Star of India is a twist on a traditional “breakfast blend,” and is a great tea base to make organic milk tea.
Jasmine tea
Jasmine tea is scented with the aroma of jasmine blossoms. The question arises what does jasmine milk tea taste like?
Typically, jasmine tea has green tea as the tea base; however, white tea and black tea are also used.
The resulting flavor of jasmine tea is subtly sweet and highly fragrant. It is the most famous scented tea in China.
Jasmine tea is perfect for this recipe because it is a very strong-flavored, bright tea that holds up well with milk and simple syrup.
Matcha
Culinary-grade matcha is perfect for making matcha tea lattes.
Culinary-grade matcha has a slightly bolder flavor than traditional ceremonial-grade matcha, so it can stand up to the addition of milk (boba milk) and cream without losing any of its signature grassy, slightly sweet taste.
It’s recommended to sift your matcha powder before blending it with a small amount of steamed milk to form a thick paste, then gradually add more milk to taste.
Matcha lattes are often sweetened with honey or simple syrup, and you can make a frothy matcha latte using a milk frother or electric whisk.
Rooibos Teas
If you want to experiment with milk tea recipes but are trying to consume less caffeine, you may want to give rooibos teas a try.
Rooibos is an herb native to South Africa and is also sometimes called red tea or red bush tea.
Although naturally caffeine-free, rooibos has a full body and hearty taste similar to that of black tea.
For use in milk tea recipes, you can experiment with classic Rooibos, Vanilla Rooibos, or Rooibos Chai.
Oolong tea is commonly consumed in China and Taiwan. In Asian countries, drinking tea is a large part of the culture and social gatherings, making it a social event when friends and business associates meet over a cup of tea.
Oolong tea is also an excellent option to consider when preparing milk tea.
English Breakfast
A classic breakfast beverage, English Breakfast tea contains Ceylon, Assam, and Tanzanian black tea in a balanced, hearty blend with a hint of natural sweetness.
English Breakfast is designed to pair well with milk and sweetener and makes the perfect cozy cup of tea on a rainy day.
Irish Breakfast
Irish Breakfast is a similar blend to English Breakfast, and it also contains Assam, Ceylon, and Tanzanian black tea.
Irish Breakfast is finely ground and produces an extremely strong, full-bodied cup of tea with notes of malt and spice.
Irish Breakfast is the perfect tea to make a cup of Hokkaido milk tea with, or just to enjoy with a splash of milk and honey.
What is milk tea powder?
Milk tea and Bubble tea (Bubble milk tea) powders became an instant hit because they’re easy to make at home without bubble tea machines, and when done right, they provide a frothy and bubbly consistency that adds to the experience of these famous drinks.
There are plenty of milk tea recipes to satisfy all everyone’s personal preferences.
If you’re a chocolate lover, there are powder (milk alternatives) mixtures for slushies and teas like Boba Teas, that are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
You can also find a lactose-free powder that has non-dairy creamer to provide a creamy texture without the allergen.
Does Milk Tea powder expire?
Milk tea powder is a type of tea that is made from milk, hot water, and tea leaves. It is a type of iced tea that is popular in East Asia and hong kong.
The milk powder and tea leaves are usually combined in hot water to make milk bubble teas and then to room temperature before adding ice cubes.
Bubble tea serving temperature should be around 40-45°C or 104-113°F. This temperature ensures that the tea is hot enough to release the flavors and aroma of the tea, while still being cool enough to enjoy comfortably.
How do you know if milk tea is bad?
One of the main components of pearl milk tea is, of course, milk.
As we all know, milk won’t keep for very long without being kept at a chilled temperature.
Unsurprising, milk tea is no different.
It can be kept at room temperature for a short period of time. However, the beverage is generally best served cold with Heavy cream.
In addition, keeping milk tea at room temperature for longer periods will cause the milk to spoil.
With milk tea, you should be more concerned about the expiry of the milk rather than the tea.
As with most things, tea bags and leaves will expire eventually, but tea has a surprisingly long shelf life and can be kept for many months, if not years if stored correctly in a cool, dark place and an airtight container.
On the other hand, fresh milk has a remarkably short shelf life.
It is typically advised not to keep it out of the fridge for more than two hours.
Leaving it out for any longer than this will give the bacteria a chance to spread, becoming potentially harmful to humans or making them ill.
The milk (coconut milk) used in milk tea like Boba Tea, is no different.
You should follow the same guidelines and only leave your drink out of the fridge for a maximum of two hours.
Bear in mind that if you live in a particularly hot country, this time frame could shorten.
How Long Can You Refrigerate Milk Tea?
While leaving milk in the fridge will dramatically increase its lifespan, it is recommended to not exceed leaving bubble tea in the fridge for more than 48 hours.
An actual bottle of milk could last for around a week without going out of date.
Milk tea expires faster because of the mix of ingredients like white sugar and simple syrup and the potential interactions between them.
For best results, milk tea, Boba Tea, or black milk tea should be served fresh, directly after being made.
If you drink milk tea frequently, then you may prefer to prepare a larger batch.
Since the maximum period, you should leave milk tea in the fridge is two days, you can freeze the excess batches for future use.
You can make the tapioca pearls and tapioca starches in larger batches as well, and freeze them for later use. Here’s how!
Be mindful, however, that after freezing milk tea, it will not have the same standard of quality and it’s likely to have lost some flavor.
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