Tiny Bubbles…Make me Happy!

Bubble tea is a sweet Taiwanese drink that combines milk, flavored tea and tapioca pearls that are sucked up through an extra-large straw and chewed.

The pearls have a soft, chewy consistency similar to that of gummy candy. Variations of ingredients include black, green and oolong tea, flavorings of rose water and mango, juices and alternate pearls of coffee or fruit jelly. Jam, puddings, ice cream and whipped cream are often added as “toppings” to this fun, flavorful beverage. Residents of Juniper Village at Mount Joy enjoyed preparing their own bubble tea this week. We began by boiling our tapioca pearls-both traditional black and festive rainbow colored- to the perfect chewy consistency. Then we combined fresh milk and ice with a luscious black tea blend. We lined the bottom of our large cups with pearls, covering them with the icy milk tea. Next we topped our tea with a spoon of vanilla pudding, scoop of ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream. The sweet flavorings, fun toppings and brightly colored straws added to the amusement of the experience!