Lately, I have been ordering bubble tea more often but felt bad about the plastic waste from the cups and straws, so I decided to look for a more environmentally friendly option and found this kit!
Description: “Jasmine milk tea is a classic! This creamy rich kit is perfect for our lactose intolerant bubble tea lovers.”
Review: I originally came across this kit on Etsy when I was looking to buy bubble tea straws (which are wider than conventional straws to accommodate the tapioca pearls) and a tall bubble tea cup. During my search, I came across this brand which has several DYI bubble tea kits that came with all the ingredients, along with a cup and straw. So, I decided to give it a try! When I made my initial order, I accidentally picked two black tea kits. Toby, the owner, quickly changed one of my kits to this Jasmine Green Tea one.
Inside the Box
The listing claimed that the kit could make 5 servings of bubble tea for half the cost and the bubble tea drink could be made in 5 minutes! It is also gluten and lactose-free. The kit came in a big brown box with:
- 1 Recipe Instructions Card
- 1 Tapioca Pearls (215 g)
- 1 Dark Brown Sugar (60 g)
- 1 Lactose-Free Creamer Powder (105 g)
- 5 Imperial Jasmine Green Biodegradable Tea Bags
- 1 Glass Bubble Tea Cup (Add-on item)
- 1 Metal Straw and Carrying Pouch (Add-on item)
Each of the ingredients came in a labelled re-sealable pouch. One reason I was interested in this kit specifically is because the tea is from Genuine Tea, which is a Toronto-based company. I have tried their teas multiple times over the year, but not this Imperial Jasmine one!
Making the Bubble Tea Tea
The printed recipe card was clear to understand and was useful to have on hand when making the drink. I followed the instructions aside from trying 1 or 2 tablespoons of sweetener (a TikTok video on the company website showed 1 teaspoon) and substituted the lactose-free creamer for oat milk powder.
The instructions recommend brewing the tea first in a tall bubble tea cup. When I first read the recipe, I was a bit surprised at the recommended 10-minute brewing time. Despite being unsure about the 10 minutes, it was actually the right amount of time since the tea flavour was strong enough to cut through the lactose-free creamer. The tea had a lovely jasmine quality that was floral but not perfumed. The pyramid tea bag held up during the steeping and the leaves had unfurled and had a strong jasmine smell.
While brewing the tea, you are supposed to make the topping of your choice, which in my case was the tapioca pearls. I boiled them over medium-high heat in a small saucepan for 2 minutes and which made chewy pearls. The label on the pearls recommended letting them soak in the brown sugar for over 5 minutes. So, I let it soak until I added it to the glass cup with the tea.
When the hot tea was done steeping, I added the sweetener and creamer and mixed until it dissolved. I then added the ice and shook it. Lastly, I add the pearls and more ice as needed.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I enjoyed this kit and once I got the hang of it, it was easy to make the bubble tea. All you had to do is add all the ingredients into one cup. I was impressed with the design of the cup and how the logo could be used to measure the ingredients – if you add water to the bottom of the logo, that equates to 1 cup and if you add ice to the top of the logo, that is enough leaves enough space to add the toppings. I would generally top off with ice to top up the cup.
The taste of the Jasmine green tea was nice and refreshing. I preferred using less sugar as there was some additional sweetness from the pearls soaking in the brown sugar. If I was going to be technical, it does take more than 5 minutes to make everything since the tea needs to brew for 10 minutes, and the water needs to boil for both the tea and the pearls. That being said, the actual making of bubble tea was quick once all the ingredients were ready, so assembly was around 5 minutes.
Just a note that while the creamer is lactose-free, it does have milk derivatives. I also tried the oat creamer, but I found it a bit overpowering and it diluted the jasmine flavour. I would recommend the lactose-free creamer unless there are dietary reasons you need to avoid it. I found this Jasmine Green kit easy to use, it was handy it came with all the ingredients, and I would consider getting either kits or bubble tea syrups to get other flavours and mix in the future(4/5 rating)!