Bring 2 cups hot water to just off a boil. Add 2 tablespoons loose black tea (or 2 tea bags). Steep 4–5 minutes for strong flavor, then strain or remove tea bags. Allow brewed tea to cool to room temperature, then chill in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes (or use ice to cool quickly). You should end up with about 2 cups of strong black tea.

Tapioca Pearls (Boba)

Cook Pearls

Bring 6 cups water to a rolling boil in a medium pot. Add 1 cup dried tapioca pearls and stir gently to prevent sticking. When pearls float, cover and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes (check package for exact time) until chewy but not hard in center. Stir occasionally. Turn off heat, cover pot, and let pearls sit in hot water for another 10–15 minutes if needed to reach desired chewiness.

Make Brown Sugar Syrup

While pearls cook, combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. Heat gently until sugar dissolves into a syrup (30–60 seconds). Keep warm.

Rinse and Sweeten Pearls

Drain cooked pearls and briefly rinse under warm water to remove excess starch. Place pearls into the brown sugar syrup and toss so they are well coated. Let sit in syrup for at least 2–3 minutes so they absorb sweetness and stay glossy.

Milk & Sweetener

Combine Milks and Sweeteners

In a measuring cup or small pitcher, combine 1 cup whole milk, 2 tablespoons half-and-half (optional), 1.5 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk, and 1 tablespoon simple syrup (or honey). Stir thoroughly until fully homogenized and sweetened to taste. Adjust sweetness if desired; Thu Thu Milk Tea is slightly sweet and creamy.

Assemble Drink

Place the syrup-coated tapioca pearls (about 1/4–1/3 cup, depending on preference) into the bottom of a 20 oz serving cup. Add a little of the extra brown sugar syrup to drizzle if desired. Add 1 cup of chilled strong black tea over the pearls. Fill the cup with ice (about 1 cup). Pour the milk mixture over the ice, leaving a little headspace. Stir gently to combine but leave some visual swirl of milk if desired.

Finish & Serve

Taste and adjust: if too strong, add a splash more milk; if not sweet enough, add a little more simple syrup or condensed milk. Add a brown sugar drizzle on top or around the cup for presentation. Insert a large straw and serve immediately while pearls are chewy and tea is cold.