How to make bubble tea – the “real” (tea-less) version? Is there a way to create the powdered flavoring

asian-cuisinedrinkstea

I've been unsuccessful thus far in recreating Khmer bubble tea, or the pastel-colored bubble tea one can find at many small cafes and stands.

The specific kind of bubble tea I'm looking to make uses the following:

  • flavored sugar powder/creamer
  • ice
  • water
  • tapioca pearls in syrup

Can anyone lead me to the proper way to make the flavored powder/creamer? I'm NOT looking for any varieties with fresh fruit, tea, honey, or anything else. This is an original variety of bubble tea (obviously with no real tea!) from Southeast Asia, and I can't seem to recreate it. My combinations of creamer, extracts, and sugar have failed thus far, resulting in a sugar water with little actual flavor. I'm looking for what might be a place to find the actual powders, or a possible makeup of the ingredients used. The result should be a bright color, a more creamy than watery texture, and full-bodied flavor.

A photo of the bubble tea (bright colors, hand mixed, not sealed by a machine) can be found here.

There are ways to order giant packs of the flavored powder/creamer online, but I really don't want to pay $15 for a pound of one flavor if I can create a version of it myself. Any ideas?

Best Answer

You can try finding the powder at an Asian grocery store. The one I frequent has a section of powders that seem like they might be geared more toward a consumer than a restaurant. I just checked: it's a one pound bag. I was able to buy just the one bag, but it was a while ago, so I don't recall the price. According to the bag, the ingredients are Non-dairy creamer, (whatever flavor - I have strawberry and almond) powder, glucose, and coloring. Even though it says it has glucose, you're still supposed to add sugar according to the directions (and it definitely needs it).

As for creaminess, you might consider trying milk/soy milk/almond milk, etc. instead of water. When ever I've made it, it turned out much better like that. The directions call for extra non-dairy creamer, but the recommended amount didn't seem to be enough, so the next batch, I just made it with soy milk (no particular reason for soy over regular: I just don't have regular on hand).

Related Topic