Cold Bubble Tea

A popular drink in Asia, bubble tea can also be found in some U.S. restaurants and cafes. Use this simple recipe to make your own refreshing bubble tea at home.

What is Bubble Tea?
The bubbles in the tea are actually large tapioca pearls, which add an interesting consistency to the drink. This is a cold drink, so you need to make the tea well ahead of time so it has plenty of time to chill. Bubble tea is very popular in Asia, and it is beginning to gain popularity in the United States.
Bubble Tea Ingredients
For this recipe you need:
1. black tea
2. large tapioca pearls
3. milk
4. ice
5. sweetener
You also need a cocktail shaker for mixing together the drink, and extra wide straws for drinking up those bubbles.
Prepare the Tea
Begin by making a pot of black tea. While the tea is still hot sweeten it with sugar or honey. Generally, you will want to use about 1 tbsp. of sweetener per cup of tea. It is better to use less than more, because you can always add more later. Now, chill the tea in the refrigerator.
Boil the Tapioca Pearls
Tapioca is very delicate, so you want to make it right before putting the bubble tea together. Boil some water in a large saucepan. When the water is boiling, add one cup of tapioca pearls. Stir them up so they do not stick to the bottom. Follow the cooking directions for the type of tapioca that you are using. Generally, you want to let the tapioca boil for 25 minutes, then turn off the heat and let them sit covered in warm water for another 25 minutes.
Assemble the Bubble Tea
Drain the tapioca and rinse it with warm water. Add the tapioca pearls to the bottom of the cups. Pour one part tea, one part milk and some ice into the cocktail shaker. Give it a good shake so everything gets mixed up. Pour the milk, tea, and ice over the tapioca and enjoy the drink through one of the thick straws.

Source : http://chinesefood.about.com