Peach Oolong Recipe

Steep the oolong

Bring 480 ml water to just under a boil (about 90–95°C). Remove from heat and add 12 g oolong tea leaves (or 2 tea bags). Steep 4–5 minutes for a strong, aromatic base. Taste and adjust steep time if you prefer stronger or lighter tea.

Strain the leaves (or remove tea bags). Transfer the hot tea to a heat-safe bowl and cool quickly: set the bowl in an ice bath or refrigerate until the tea is room temperature or lightly chilled (about 10–15 minutes). Chilled tea prevents melting too much ice when blending.

Prepare the fruit

Peel, pit, and roughly chop 2 ripe peaches. Place chopped peaches, 4 tbs sugar, 1 tbs lemon juice and 60 ml water in a small saucepan.

Bring the peach mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Cook 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peaches are very soft and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Transfer the peach mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth (about 30–45 seconds). If you want a silkier texture, strain the purée through a fine mesh sieve to remove any fibrous bits. Chill the purée until cool (10 minutes) or use at room temperature if your tea and milk are chilled.

Combine the chilled tea (all of the strained 480 ml) with 240 ml whole milk in a measuring cup or pitcher. Stir in 2 tbs simple syrup (or honey) until fully incorporated. Taste and add up to 1 tbs more syrup if you prefer sweeter milk tea. Keep chilled until ready to blend.

Cook the pearls

Bring 1,000 ml water to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Add 100 g uncooked tapioca pearls and stir gently to prevent sticking. Boil according to the pearl manufacturer's instructions (typically 6–10 minutes) until the pearls are soft and slightly chewy in the center, stirring occasionally so they don't clump.

Remove from heat, cover, and let the pearls rest for 10–15 minutes (or as recommended). Drain and immediately toss the cooked pearls with 2 tbs brown sugar while warm so they absorb sweetness. Keep warm or at room temperature until assembling drinks.

Add to a blender: all of the chilled milk–tea base (tea + milk + syrup), the peach purée, and 2 cups ice. Typical amounts: roughly 720 ml liquid (tea + milk) + ~240–360 ml peach purée depending on yield. If you prefer a stronger peach flavor, add more purée; for a subtler flavor, reduce it slightly.

Pulse and then blend on high until smooth and slightly frothy, about 20–30 seconds. Check texture: it should be smoothie-thick but pourable. If too thick, add 1–2 tbs cold water or milk; if too thin, add a few more ice cubes and re-blend.

If using boba: divide the cooked, sweetened pearls between 2 serving glasses (about 50 g pearls per glass). Pour the blended peach oolong mixture evenly into the glasses over the pearls. If not using boba, simply pour into chilled glasses.

Garnish (optional): top each glass with a thin peach slice, a sprig of mint, or a light dusting of oolong tea powder. Serve immediately with a wide straw if pearls were added.