Taro Bubble Tea
A creamy, lilac-purple milk drink with the gentle nutty-vanilla flavour of taro root, blended smooth and served over chewy tapioca pearls.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Serves
- 2 drinks
- Level
- Medium
By Maya Chen
Method
- 01
Cook the tapioca pearls in plenty of boiling water for 20–30 minutes until tender, rest covered off the heat for 15 minutes, drain, and soak in 3 tbsp sugar dissolved in a little warm water.
- 02
Steam or boil the cubed taro for 15–20 minutes until very soft and easily mashed. If using taro powder, skip this step.
- 03
Mash the cooked taro to a smooth paste, or blend it, adding a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp sugar while still warm.
- 04
Blend the taro paste (or powder) with the milk and the remaining sugar until completely smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness — it should be pleasantly sweet but not cloying.
- 05
Chill the taro milk, or pour it over ice. Spoon the syruped pearls into each glass.
- 06
Add ice, pour the taro milk over the top, stir to combine, and serve with a wide straw.
Taro bubble tea is the gentle one on the menu — a creamy, faintly nutty milk drink the colour of soft lavender. Despite the dramatic hue, the flavour is subtle and comforting, closer to a light dessert than a tea, which makes it a favourite for anyone who finds black milk tea too brisk.
There are two honest routes: real taro root, which is steamed and mashed, or taro powder, which blends straight into milk. The root gives a more natural flavour and a little texture; the powder is faster and smoother.
From root to creamy glass
If using fresh taro, cook it until it is fall-apart soft, then mash and sweeten it while warm so the sugar and a pinch of salt work in. Blending it with the milk is what gives the drink its signature silky body. Keep the sweetness in check and let the mild, vanilla-nutty taste come through — over-sweetening flattens taro into generic sweet milk. Pour over syruped pearls and ice, stir, and the lilac colour and soft chew do the rest.
