While summer is the perfect time to enjoy fruit tea, winter is the ideal season for milk tea to shine in the beverage world! A cup of milk tea from a cafe will usually set you back a few dollars, and that’s without any toppings (tapioca pearls, jelly, etc.).
On the other hand, if you make it at home, you’ll spend a maximum of a couple of dollars, and you can drink as much as you like. A great example is this milk tea with wood ear, which, while not a novel combination, is definitely a drink that anyone can enjoy and fall in love with.
When you sip this tea, you’ll feel a sense of warmth and comfort spreading from your belly, especially if you’re someone who always feels cold hands and feet during winter. Sometimes, no matter how much you bundle up at home, it doesn’t seem to help.
Rock sugar gives it a subtle sweetness, blending perfectly with the fragrance of the wood ear
When preparing this milk tea, you can add a bit of rose if you like, showing that you truly understand and apply the basic principles of health maintenance. For those who simply love milk tea, no toppings are needed. However, when making it at home, feel free to add some small tapioca pearls to make it even more delicious and interesting. The chewy texture of the tapioca is sure to delight both adults and children alike!
Here’s a guide on how to make wood ear milk tea at home:
Ingredients
– 5g black tea
– 15g rock sugar (yellow)
– 200ml hot water
– 2g wood ear
– 500ml fresh milk
– 5 rose buds (optional)
– Some tapioca pearls (made from glutinous rice flour)
How to Make Wood Ear Milk Tea at Home
Instructions
Black tea is the ideal choice for making milk tea. You don’t need to add water or oil; simply put the black tea and rock sugar in a pan and simmer over low heat until the sugar has completely melted. If you’re not used to controlling the heat, you can add a little water to the pan to help the sugar dissolve faster.
Once the black tea has been sautéed and the wonderful aroma starts to fill the air, add about 200ml of hot water and bring to a boil.
At this point, add the wood ear and stir gently. In fact, you could also experiment with jasmine, which also tastes fantastic.
Simmer for about 2 minutes to allow the fragrance of the wood ear to infuse into the milk tea. Then, pour in the fresh milk. Adding the rose buds now is perfect; continue to cook until the milk tea starts to gently boil, then turn off the heat.
At this stage, you can already enjoy your milk tea, but if you want to add some toppings to make it more appealing, there are a few more steps. Take your prepared tapioca pearls (or taro balls) out of the fridge, put them into a pot of boiling water, and cook until they float to the top. Then, put the cooked tapioca at the bottom of your cup, pour in the strained milk tea, and finally, sprinkle some wood ear and rose buds on top. This homemade wood ear milk tea is just as good as what you’d find at famous tea shops.
Your homemade wood ear milk tea is just as good as what you’d find at famous tea shops
Your final product will have a strong fragrance from the wood ear, combined with the flavor of black tea and the creaminess of the milk. When drinking, you’ll taste a subtle sweetness that isn’t overpowering. Those who love refreshing flavors will definitely go crazy for this!
