What is Crystal Boba? Crystal boba tea differs from regular boba as it is made with Agar powder, which makes the pearls unique with a translucent color as well as a soft, chewy feel. Crystal boba isn’t so gelatinous as normal boba, but it can be used to make a variety of things that are fun in the world of beverages.
Many people find that bubble tea (also called boba tea) is an essential element of their daily routine. Crystal boba tea is one of my favorite drinks because it is so refreshing and has a great flavor. I love to use crystal boba tea as a base for smoothies or as a drink on its own. It is also great for making bubble tea. You can find crystal boba tea at most Asian markets or online.
It’s chewy and sweet, and when blended in with green tea it’s an incredible and refreshing drink. Boba tea was initially introduced and became famous in Taiwan and, since then, it has been reformulated in many different varieties.
From sparkling Pearls to regular boba crystal boba and more, there is something to suit anyone! In this article, we’ll discuss crystal boba tea and how it compares with other teas made with boba.
This guide will provide a source of hope for those who have no idea about the Boba experience!
If you’re someone who has heard of the phrase “bubble tea” but thought of it as tea that was infused with the flavors of bubble gum then this is the right topic for those you.
For those who already enjoy boba tea, this guide will provide the different methods of making Boba tea, as well as the distinctions between crystal boba and boba, and will show you how to get rid of the store-bought version and make your own at your own home.
If you’d like to know more about crystal boba’s properties and the many ways it can be used, go through this article to learn more!
In This Article
What Is Crystal Boba?
A regular cup of boba is prepared with boba pearls. These pearls are made from tapioca starch. Crystal boba is made with a different list of ingredients. Instead of tapioca or corn starch crystal boba is produced by using white agar powder.
This gelling agent gives crystal boba pearls the texture and shape. Crystal boba is said to be translucent and somewhat gelatinous when compared to regular Boba.
They are white by nature and, when cooked, they transform into transparent.
The word “crystal” comes from the fact that the boba pearls are transparent and white, and also have an ethereal exterior.
They’re able to change color depending on the hue they are added to and this allows for a variety of possibilities to play around with different tea varieties or even fruit juices.
Crystal boba is available in a variety of varieties at supermarkets. You can also make them yourself using the ingredients you have at home.
Let’s first discuss the basics of crystal boba.
There are many methods to make boba. However, the essential ingredients are as follows: Agar powder, gelatin powder (which is not required as it increases the gelatin of the pearls) white sugar, and cold water mixed with oil.
This is the most basic list of the ingredients needed to make the standard crystal Boba pearls. There are numerous options to create a unique boba pearl!
We’ll discuss these options in the future Let’s first take a look at what each ingredient is and how to prepare crystal boba correctly.
Agar Powder
In contrast to regular boba pearls that utilize tapioca starch crystal boba pearls are created using Agar powder, as well as different gelling ingredients. It is a natural gelling ingredient that originates from marine algae.
Agar powder is an organic gelling powder that could be utilized for a variety of applications. Boba is regular in its preparation and is made from tapioca starch, brown sugar as well as other ingredients, later kneaded into dough.
The dough is broken into small balls and cooked until it turns into pearls of boba.
Agar powder is the best choice. You don’t have to knead anything because you’ll use the liquid to create the pearls. But there’s some method to do this, and we’ll discuss it in a minute.
White Sugar
Regular boba pearls are made of brown sugar, however, crystal pearls of boba white and transparent crystal boba use white sugar.
It is possible to use any white sugar that has been processed since you’ll be boiling sugar until it becomes homogeneous and the whole mix remains homogenous.
A few people also add a little bit of coconut water in addition to sugar for an extra flavor. As previously mentioned crystal boba is considered a blank surface and can be used with a variety of ingredients to alter its taste.
Cold Water and Oil
Water that is cold is utilized to make the pearls. A bit of oil is in the mix to ensure that the boba balls do not stick to each other once the hot mix is put into the bath of cold water..
How To Make Crystal Boba
Now that you are aware of what crystal boba tea is made of and how it’s different from ordinary boba tea, you’re ready to investigate the methods of making crystal Boba at home.
To create a batch of crystal Boba:
- Put in a pan one liter of water, and boil over 10 mins or so until it starts to bubble.
- Mix 1/2 cup sugar into the mixture giving it a thorough mix until all the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Add Agar powder or other gelling ingredients into the mix, and continue stirring until it is completely incorporated. We will call it”boba” mix “boba mix”
- Cook for approximately 5 minutes before turning the heat to low. Continue to simmer for five minutes, then turn off the off the heat.
- In an additional bowl, fill it with water that is room temperature and add the required amount of ice to lower the temperature and allow the water to cool. It isn’t necessary to be specific in terms of temperature. It should be at least as cold as drinking a glass of chilled water. This is also the stage that you’ll put 2 teaspoons of natural oil in the freezing bath. (Cheap oil works well too.)
- Make use of an empty bottle of condiments or dropper, and fill it with hot boba mixture.
- Pour the hot boba mixture over the cold bath. Be sure to throw the hot mixture in various places within the bowl. The boba mix will begin to clump up and then float on its surface in the bath. It will then sink once it is cool, and form pearls.
- Continue step 7, until you’ve got enough Boba pearls.
- Clean the pearls of boba by running them through tap water until they do not have leftover oil or residue. The pearls can be stored for an indefinite period of time by freezing them. Or, you could utilize them right away.
There are also some other steps can be taken to alter the appearance and color of the pearls of boba.
In other words, adding additional gelling powders to the hot mixture can result in softer Boba pearls, which will be significantly more gelatinous.
You can also add food coloring in the hot mix to create the boba pearls. Keep in mind that how big the pearls is determined by how large the drop is once it is put in cold water.
Empty ketchup bottles are an excellent option since pearls created using them will be bigger in dimensions.
Drippers are also great, but you’ll find smaller balls. It is important to note that size will determine the length of the straw you’ll make use of to drink tea.
What Is Crystal Boba For?
Crystal boba can be used for many purposes. There are many recipes can be followed to create different kinds of drinks and teas. Crystal boba can be found to make drinks like green tea or black tea, mojitos, cold coffees and many other.
The most effective method to get crystal-clear boba is to drink milk tea. We are in love with the delicate and sweet taste that the boba pearls bring to this tea. We would also suggest starting here.
Milk Tea
For making crystal-colored boba, simply take the milk into an oven and warm the milk. Add any type of tea, and let it simmer for between 10 and 12 mins or so until tea has completely extracted.
Then , add sugar and the creamer of your preference. You can also leave out the creamer in case there isn’t any on hand.
Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes until it is cool. In the meantime, grab the glass in a tall size and place it into the freezer to chill for approximately twelve minutes to ensure that the glass has completely chilled.
Get the glass cold and pour into a chocolate syrup. An excellent way to add decoration to the glass with syrup is by dripping it on an angle as you rotate the glass.
The syrup will begin to move through the walls of the glass. The cold temperature will make the syrup once it’s pouring. Place the glass back into the freezer for around five minutes.
Then, grab an entire heap with crystal-boba pearls. place them in the chilled glass. Then, pour the tea over them. Now, you can add various toppings.
The most popular is served that it is served with a fine dusting of brown sugar layered over large swaths of whipping cream. It is also possible to serve it with berries or a cut strawberry to give it a more textured.
Colored Crystal Boba Pearls
Crystal boba pearls possess the capacity to be any color of your preference. Contrary to regular boba, which generally has a light-to-dark brown outer layer due to the chocolate brown sugar caramelization.
Colored crystal boba Pearls are perfect for all kinds of beverages . They can also be used as decorations on numerous desserts. To create colored crystal boba pearls you just need to pour them into the glass of water and then add the food colorr.
You are able to add the amount of color you’d like. We suggest using color that isn’t flavored so that the balls concentrate only the color, and not taste.
It is possible to color the pearls of boba can vary according to the drink you are drinking For example making green balls if making them for mojito.
Sparkling Crystal Boba Pearls
Crystal boba pearls can be used to create bursting Boba pearls.
A word of caution for those who are a bit naive: We’re aware that this isn’t a technique that is used to make normal crystal Boba pearls.
We are confident that this method will increase the level of imagination that you can use to every recipe you make in the future. Crystal boba pearls are tiny chameleons that be transformed into any hue and flavor.
Therefore, you can create crystal boba pearls in any flavor you wish!
For instance making sparkling cranberry crystal Boba pearls, you can follow the same steps as above, but instead of water you’ll be using juice from cranberries to mix the agar powder, and then cook the mixture.
You can choose to use freshly squeezed or bottle-sealed juice, and it’s dependent on your preference.
The reason is that you can make use of any juice as the base for crystal boba pearls in order to give their unique flavor and hue. This is something you won’t get with normal pearls.
Crystal Boba vs Boba
The regular boba tea is produced with tapioca starch, and comes with an edgier preparation. In contrast to crystal boba, which typically makes use of agar powder as a gelling agent The regular boba is then made into dough.
Here’s a list ingredients required to make common Boba pearls:
- Brown sugar
- Water
- Tapioca starch
- Molasses
- Tea
It is likely that you have noticed that the ingredients differ in comparison to the recipe for crystal boba have previously discussed. This is due to the fact that in place of the agar-powder, we will use tapioca starch as an agent for gelling to create the pearls.
What Is The Difference In Boba?
To make boba, you can simply dissolve brown sugar in a cup of water and reduce it until it becomes slightly thicker and then gradually add tapioca starch as the mixture is simmering on low heating. It is important to add tiny amounts of starch until your mix gets a little hard and crumbly.
Remove the crumbled mix onto an oiled dough mat. Then, sprinkle on some tapioca starch over it. Begin making into the dough.
You’ll want to make an appealing dough that looks totally homogenous across all sides , and looks like typical wheat dough.
Divide the dough into four pieces and make it into a long log. Cut the log into smaller pieces. Roll each piece to create small balls.
Size of balls are dependent on you , however we suggest that you create balls between 8 and 10mm. However, any size is acceptable..
Be aware that you need be quick as the dough cools it will be more difficult to mix.
If the dough is difficult to handle, you can warm it in a microwave for about 2 minutes or until it is soft and elastic. Once the dough becomes easily manipulated you can continue to make the pearls.
You can make as many pearls you’d like, and store your pearls inside an airtight container in your freezer. If you’re planning on making boba tea , put some pearls in the boiling water, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.
The dough will change into gelatinous, with a transparent exterior and dark interior. Remove the boba pearls and wash through the tap water. In a pot place them in a densely packed brown sugar and a little water and Molasses.
Cook on high heat, then reduce the temperatures until the mixture changes into an syrup. Remove the flame and stir in the cooked Boba pearls. Now you have the basis for any tea made from boba.
Make any kind of tea and add one teaspoon of the Boba Pearl as well as syrup mix. This is all you need to make your own Boba tea!
In the simplest terms If we had to sum up everything in one sentence, here’s the way boba tea differs in comparison to crystal boba:
| Crystal Boba | Regular Boba |
|---|---|
| Constructed using agar powder and other gelling agents | It is made from tapioca starch or a mixture of cornstarch and tapioca starch |
| Pearls are created by dropping a mixtures of water in cold temperatures. | Pearls are created by kneading the dough into a ball and then baking them in separate batches. |
| Transparent and completely transparent | Translucent exterior and dark interior |
| Subtly citrusy and sweet | Light caramel-like flavor |
| Soft and slightly chewy texture. | Chewy exterior and some smudges in the interior |
Regular boba pearls are used in any tea. Their uses differ from crystal boba in that they aren’t able to add color to the pearls after they’ve been cooked.
The flavor of the pearls from boba can be maintained by using the addition of ingredients after cooking them.
There are however some similarities between the crystal boba and regular Boba.
When you prepare this dough for baking, you could mix in other ingredients or flavoring agents to alter the flavor of the pearls when it’s in liquid form.
Like you change the base for crystal boba pearls, you can swap the water for fruit juice. In addition, while we’re talking about this it is important to discuss the different kinds of pearls from boba and the way they compare to the other types.
Types of Boba Pearls
There are three types of boba pearls that are commonly used and many people utilize a variety of flavors or ingredients to alter the taste the pearls.
The three kinds of boba pearls are:
- Regular Boba Pearls
- Crystal Boba Pearls
- The boba pearls are bursting
Regular Boba Pearls
We’ve already talked about how regular boba pearls can be created and how they compare to crystal Boba. Regular boba pearls form the base of any bubble tea.
There are a variety of varieties of boba, and people use the pearls in many different ways to express their creativity. For instance Boba pearls could be used to make a delicious topping, and can be used in desserts in a fun manner.
Regular boba pearls are available in a variety of sizes, with the need for mini boba pearls have been growing steadily, as have several tea shops providing mini boba options that come with straws that are regular for greater convenience.
Crystal Boba Pearls
Crystal boba pearls differ from the regular dough boba-pearls in the method of making them and in the way they appear and taste. Crystal Boba pearls are an excellent opportunity to show off your creativity and are also a fantastic way to personalize drinks.
They can adopt the color and taste of any base. Therefore, you can choose from a range of options to dramatically alter the taste of crystal Boba pearls. They’re usually transparent and possess a gelatinous with a chewy and spongy appearance.
Burst Boba Pearls
These kinds of Boba pearls are similar to crystal boba pearls, but they might have slight differences in the materials they’re made from.
For instance Boba pearls that burst can be made from any fruit juice , and are designed to have the juice inside them.
The pearls that burst can be available in a variety of tea shops and can make them yourself at your home. They are made with an extract of seaweed that forms an airtight seal and holds the juice of the fruit inside.
They are referred to as popping boba pearls due the way they pop a little with flavor when you bite them.
It is possible to use any fruit juice to make these pearls. You can mix them into different kinds of teas and beverages to create different tastes. For instance, you can use the boba pearls of cranberry in apple tea.
Interesting Facts & Questions
After we’ve covered the meaning of crystal boba let’s look at a few questions about the topic!
What makes the bubble tea different from Boba tea?
Teas like bubble and Boba tea are one and the identical. They’re used interchangeably and you will find numerous shops that have their own terms regarding the term boba.
Boba tea can also be referred to as “bubble milk tea” or “tapioca bubble tea” or “tapioca pearl tea”.
Where can I buy boba tea?
The tea known as Boba is available throughout the world, and you can locate an “bubble tea” tea shop close to you by conducting an online search.
It is also possible to make homemade bubble tea by purchasing tapioca boba pearls at the market or also make them yourself by using tapioca starch, or the powder of agar.
Do you mix boba pearls with any tea of your choice?
Yes. Boba pearls can be added in any type of tea. The majority of the time, they are employed in a variety of black teas, but they are also used in milk teas, green teas, and much more.
Although they are more often used in teas, the boba Pearls can be found in other drinks such as mojitos or fruit drinks that have burst pearls of boba.
