Imagine that your cup of tea decided to go on a wild adventure and back with a bunch of new friends - these friends are chewy, bouncy pearls made of tapioca, and they all start a merry dance in your mouth. This is the doll tea, a drink based on black tea, tapioca pearls, condensed milk and syrup, which has become very popular beyond its native Taiwan. Doll Tea has its origins in a friendly rivalry between two iconic tea rooms on the tiny island of East Asia way back in the 1980s. One story says that the owner of the tea house, Chun Shui Tang, in downtown Taichung, Taiwan, claimed to have come up with the idea to serve iced tea when he came across coffee served cold while visiting Japan. Then one day, during a team meeting, his product development manager poured some tapioca balls ready for his drink and the first doll tea was born. The second story is from another tea room, the Hanlin Tea Room in Tainan, the southern part of Taiwan, where the owner says he was inspired when he saw white tapiokas being sold in a local market and decided to mix them with tea - 'pearl tea'. Whether it's Chun Shui Tang Tea Room or Henlin Tea Room, the birth of bubble tea remains a story of creativity and chance, forever etched in the fabric of Taiwanese culture. Imagine this: an opaque plastic cup, a giant straw, and a sweet symphony of flavors in every sip, with each sip actually chewing at the same time.
Tapioca Story: Puppet vs. Pearls
Enter the world of tapioca, where size matters. Large dark balls are called dolls, while their smaller counterparts, whether white or amber, are known as pearls. The names are interchangeable these days depending on who you ask and where they are from. In Taiwan, it's a matter of north and south. In the United States, it can be a West Coast vs. East Coast issue. Even in California alone, North and South have their own preferences. There is even a rumor that the word 'bubble' in bubble tea does not refer to the additives at all, but to the foam created when shaking the milk.
What kind of tea is used for doll tea?
Traditionally, black tea is the preferred choice. In any reputable bubble tea house, there are a variety of varieties to choose from. Assam, Indian black tea, is very often used as standard. For something light, green tea, jasmine tea, oolong, and darjeeling are all good options. For a slightly more intense flavor, choose English Breakfast, Matcha or Fu'er Tea. If you prefer something with a little more flavor, Earl Grey scented with bergamot peel oil or chai masala seasoned with Indian spices, will work just fine.
All kinds of variations, doll tea
View this post on Instagram
Shared post by Olivia McHale - Teesside lifestyle & food blogger (@thenorthernist )
Whole milk or milk substitute?
Whole milk turns out to be the best choice, not only because of its flavor but also because of the foam it creates when shaken. While Taiwan has a clear preference for "real milk," non-dairy options like soy or almonds have made their mark on the global doll tea scene.
Sugar, syrups, condensed milk: how to sweeten?
The sugar syrup dominates the dome, and mixes gracefully with the milk tea. Clear sugar syrup gives flavor to tea, while dark brown sugar syrup gives a rich marble effect to tapioca. In recent years we have witnessed the rise of brown sugar doll tea, a tealess delight that includes brown doll washed in caramelized sweetness. Honey, maple syrup or sweetened condensed milk offer alternative ways of sweetness, making each bubble tea a unique and customizable masterpiece.
Traditionally, sugar syrup is used in milk, which is preferred over a teaspoon of sugar, because the sugar needs to dissolve and the sugar syrup disperses quickly and evenly. Clear sugar syrup corresponds to the more dominant flavor of tea milk, and dark brown sugar syrup to the tapioca flavor. The latter creates a marble effect with the milk. One of the most popular options in recent years is brown sugar doll tea, which actually does not contain tea, but brown doll gently cooked in caramelized brown sugar, topped with ice and shaken milk. You can also use honey, maple syrup, and one of the favorites in any Asian pantry, sweetened condensed milk. One of the best things about doll tea is how personalized each drink can be. You can drink it with 50%, 30% or zero sugar; You can choose how much ice it will be; And you can skip any extras or get all the extras you want.
View this post on Instagram
Shared post by jєṡṡıє (@j.eun_____ )
The magic lies in the details: tips for brewing the perfect doll tea
If you want a foaming effect, add the tea, syrup, milk and ice in a shaker cup and shake for 5 seconds. Then, add everything to a glass with doll syrup.
For an extra creamy taste, use milk without tea.
Replace sugar syrup with honey, fine sugar, light brown sugar, or agave syrup.
Need to save time? A pre-made doll is at guests' disposal.
Prepare a quantity according to what you want to serve, since the shelf life of a ready-made doll is only about 3 hours.
Never keep a boiled doll in the fridge - drink fresh doll tea. A refrigerated doll hardens faster.
View this post on Instagram
Shared post by 春水堂人文茶館 (@chunshuitang )
Homemade doll tea recipe, Taiwanese favorite:
Prep Time: 35 minutes, including cooling; with whipped milk effect; 1-2 servings.
Step 1
Sauté 100 ml of boiling water with tea bags or tea leaves, and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Discard the tea bags or tea leaves, and set the tea aside to cool to room temperature. To make clear sugar syrup, mix fine sugar with 60 ml of water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
Step 2
Bring 500 ml of water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the tapioca balls. Using a rubber spatula, mix the water and make sure that the balls, or doll, do not stick to the side of the pan. Increase the heat to reach a rolling boil for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat, but keep the pan on the stove with a lid for another 2 minutes. Strain the doll in a colander under gently running tap water for about 20 seconds to slow down cooking. Using the same spatula, gently push the doll through the net to make sure they do not stick and cool evenly. Once they cool to the touch, place in a mixing bowl, add the teaspoon of dark brown sugar and mix well.
Step 3
To make the sugar syrup, add the 50 grams of dark sugar to 60 ml of water in the same pan over medium heat. Stir slowly and let it come to a boil, making sure that all the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat and leave to cool. It will thicken as it cools. This will produce about 80 ml of syrup, and about 2 and a half servings. All residual syrup will be kept in a jar in the refrigerator for up to a month. Cook the cooked doll and stir until thoroughly coated. The doll can be left covered for up to three hours. Do not keep in the refrigerator as they will harden.
Step 4
Assemble the doll tea. Put the sweetened doll in a 485-ounce drinking cup, or in two smaller glasses if you want to share. Mix the doll to create a marble effect. Pour in boiled tea and 1 tablespoon of clear sugar syrup. Add 1/2 tablespoon of ice and with the help of a metal spoon mix the cup well so that the syrup and tea are well mixed, but make sure not to scratch the sticky marble effect on the side of the glass. Fill 200 ml of cold milk and serve with a doll straw.
Enjoy!
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us