Back when my husband and I were dating, he introduced me to bubble tea--sometimes called 'pearl tea'. New at the time to these jumbo tapioca pearls (boba), I realized they were great at soaking up whatever flavor they were added to and lent texture to drinks. What would a cocktail be like with tapioca pearls? A little investigation led me to quite a few recipes and I was inspired to mix up one of my own.
Although I prefer the chewy black tapioca pearls, they are harder to find outside of ordering them online or visiting a specialty Asian market. The white ones worked just fine in this recipe. This cocktail is super easy, wonderful for dessert, and kicks the sophistication of boba to a new level. Big striped straws and long spoons are a fun addition when entertaining.
- 1/2 c. tapioca pearls
- One melon--honeydew is my choice
- One 750 ml bottle Moscato d' Asti, chilled
- 1 c. simple syrup to store tapioca pearls and add extra sweetness
- In a medium saucepan, cover the tapioca with 5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Using enough water is very important so the tapioca doesn't break apart. Cover and cook over moderate heat until the tapioca is chewy and plump, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and cool under running water. Transfer the tapioca to a medium bowl and pour simple syrup over it to store.
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Using melon ballers of different sizes, scoop out 2 cups of melon balls.
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Spoon the tapioca and melon balls into Champagne flutes and top with chilled Moscato. Serve with straws and spoons.
Preparing the tapioca pearls
