Thai Milk Tea (Cha Yen) and Boba Milk Tea

Step 1

Boil the drinking water.

Step 2

Add one tablespoon of Thai Tea Mix into the straining sock and hold over a heatproof measuring jug.

Step 3

Slowly pour enough water on top of the tea in the straining sock until you have about 1/2 cup water in the heatproof measuring jug.

Step 4

Move the tea strainer with the wet tea mix over a second jug and pour the hot tea through the strainer again

Step 5

Repeat the process of pouring the resulting tea through the straining sock with tea, from jug to jug, a further two to three times to thoroughly extract the flavor from the tea mix.

Step 6

After the tea brewing transfer from jug to jug leave the tea sock in the final tea jug to further steep for 5 minutes.

Step 7

After the tea has brewed and steeped for 5 minutes remove the tea sock. Stir in the tablespoon of brown sugar into the tea until dissolved. Then stir in the tablespoon of creamer until thoroughly dissolved.

Step 8

Mix together 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk with 2 tablespoons of evaporated milk. Add to the sweetened tea - either let it naturally mix or stir together as you you please.

Step 9

Pour the finished Thai Milk Tea into a tall glass completely filled with crushed ice until three-quarters full

Step 10

The hot tea will melt the ice a little so add a couple more ice cubes

Step 11

Top off with evaporated milk that has been frothed in a frothing jug or similar. Do not stir again before serving

Step 12

Boba swells slightly on cooking. You will need as much boba as you will use for one day as it does not keep its consistency very well.

Step 13

TIP - If you do have some leftover, then add a little sugar syrup or caramelized sugar syrup to coat and keep in the fridge. Microwave the following day for a few seconds to warm and the boba will be usable though not perfect.

Step 14

Put the purchased boba balls into a pot of slowly boiling water and stir thoroughly. Continue to boil for about 30 minutes or so stirring intermittently.

Step 15

After boiling turn off the heat and leave to sit in the hot water with a lid on the saucepan for a further 20 minutes.

Step 16

Strain out the cooked boba into a strainer over the sink and rinse thoroughly with cool water. This stops the boba cooking further and helps keep the bubbles separated better.

Step 17

Transfer to a storage jar. If you store at room temperature the bubbles will be less chewy but softer. If you put into the fridge then the bubbles will be harder and chewier. Your choice!

Step 18

To make the Boba Thai Tea add 2-3 tablespoons of bubbles into your glass before adding the crushed ice. Top up with tea and the milk mix and top off with frothed condensed milk as in the main tea recipe above.

Step 19

Optionally you can add a few boba bubbles to the top of the Thai Iced Milk Tea just to make it look nice. Serve.

Step 20

Add the sugar and water into a saucepan and heat gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar into the water.

Step 21

As soon as the sugar has dissolved, turn off the gas and add in the honey, stirring to mix together.

Step 22

Note: This will make more caramel than you need but is about the smallest quantity you can feasibly make. Depending on how much you add to the boba, it should be enough for 3 cups of boba balls Iced Boba Milk Tea.

Step 23

Mix the caramel with the boba and stir to coat it ready for use for Boba Milk Tea