Wintermelon Milk Tea Recipe

Step 1

Peel and chop fresh wintermelon into small cubes. Place them in a large bowl and sprinkle the brown sugar on top. Mix well to combine, then let it sit for 1 hour. After 1 hour, the wintermelon will produce a lot of juice.

Step 2

Transfer the mixture (including juices) into a pot. Cook over medium heat until the liquid starts bubbling.

Step 3

Mix in the rock sugar, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Mix every 5-10 minutes to prevent the fruit from burning.

Step 4

After 1 hour, the fruit should look translucent and the juices will be thicker, like a syrup.

Step 5

Option 1: use a large sieve to remove the fruit flesh and keep only the liquid syrup.

Step 6

Option 2: place the entire mixture, including fruit flesh into a food processor. Pulse until a very fine paste forms. Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove larger pieces of fruit.

Step 7

Let the syrup cool down completely to room temperature.

Step 8

Boil filtered water in a kettle to 175°F (80°C). Place the Jasmine green tea leaves into a teapot fitted with a mesh infuser.

Step 9

Pour the hot water over the tea leaves, cover and let steep for 3 minutes. Do not steep for longer than this as it can make the tea bitter.

Step 10

Remove the tea leaves and discard. Cool down to room temperature, then refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 11

Cook the brown sugar boba pearls as indicated on the package. Once cooked, transfer then to ice water. Use within a few minutes for the best chewy texture.

Step 12

In a tall serving glass, place 2-3 tablespoons of wintermelon syrup. Adjust amount to personal preference (more syrup for a sweeter drink, less for a healthier beverage).

Step 13

Pour cold tea over the syrup, then mix everything together to dissolve the wintermelon syrup.

Step 14

Add in the desired amount of tapioca pearls. Recommended amount is 2-3 tablespoons of cooked boba.

Step 15

Top with cold milk and finish with ice cubes. Enjoy immediately!