Mango Green Milk Tea ** Recipe

Heat water

Bring 2 cups of water to about 175°F (80°C). If you don't have a thermometer, bring to a simmer and let sit 1 minute so it cools slightly — green tea is best brewed below boiling to avoid bitterness.

Brew

Add 2 tsp green tea (or 2 tea bags) to the hot water and steep for 2 minutes. Do not over-steep to prevent astringency.

Cool the tea quickly

Immediately strain the tea into a heatproof bowl and cool by placing the bowl in an ice bath or pouring the hot tea over a small amount of ice in a heatproof container to rapidly chill. Once cool (room temperature or chilled), transfer to the fridge or set aside while you complete other steps. This yields about 2 cups brewed green tea for the recipe.

Prepare mango

Put 1 cup diced ripe mango flesh into a blender or food processor.

Add sugar and acid

Add 2 tbs granulated sugar and 1 tbs fresh lemon juice to the blender. The sugar balances acidity and enhances mango flavor; the lemon keeps color bright.

Blend to smooth

Blend until completely smooth. If the purée is too thick to blend smoothly, add up to 2 tbs warm water and blend again until a pourable, thick purée forms.

Taste and adjust

Taste the purée and add a little more sugar (1/2 tbs increments) or lemon (small dash) if desired. Chill briefly if still warm.

Combine milk and condensed milk

In a small pitcher or bowl, whisk together 1 cup whole milk and 2 tbs sweetened condensed milk until fully combined and slightly frothy. The condensed milk adds sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel.

Chill

Place the milk mixture in the fridge to keep cold while you finish other components. Stir again before assembling.

Bring water to a rolling boil

Pour 6 cups water into a medium pot and bring to a vigorous boil over high heat.

Cook the pearls

Add 1/2 cup dry tapioca pearls to the boiling water, stir briefly so they don't stick, then let the water return to a gentle boil. For quick-cook tapioca pearls, simmer 6–8 minutes until they become mostly translucent with a small opaque center. For standard pearls follow package instructions (often 12–20 min). Stir occasionally during cooking.

Rest covered

Turn off heat, cover the pot, and let the pearls sit for 8–10 minutes (or per package) to finish softening.

Drain and sweeten

Drain the pearls in a fine-mesh sieve, rinse briefly under warm water, then toss them with 2 tbs brown sugar while still warm to glaze and sweeten. Keep pearls covered until ready to assemble so they stay soft and warm. This yields roughly 1 cup cooked pearls.

Portion pearls

Divide the cooked tapioca pearls between two tall glasses — about 1/2 cup cooked pearls per glass. If you're not using pearls, skip this step.

Add ice and mango purée

Add about 1 cup ice into each glass. Spoon or pour 1/2 cup mango purée into each glass over the ice, creating a bright base layer.

Add milk base

Pour 1/2 cup of the chilled milk mixture into each glass on top of the mango purée.

Top with green tea

Carefully pour 1 cup (240 ml) chilled brewed green tea into each glass, pouring slowly so you get a pretty layered or marbled look between mango, milk and tea.

Final stir and garnish

Stir gently with a long spoon or wide straw to combine flavors, or leave layered if preferred and stir before drinking. Garnish each glass with fresh mint leaves if desired. Serve immediately with a wide straw suitable for pearls.