Today we're bubbling over with joy to welcome the fab Jennifer J. Chow to the Kitchen, with her thirst-quenching recipe for bubble tea. Not only that, but she's giving away a copy of her newest book, Death By Bubble Tea, to one lucky commenter! Take it away, Jen:
Bubble tea (or boba) is known for its distinctive tapioca “pearls”; these balls are made from tapioca starch. The boba has an al dente texture that’s chewy but not overly soft. Besides pearls, bubble tea toppings have expanded to pudding, jellies (more like jello bits), chopped fruit, and more.
Boba originated in Taiwan and is traditionally made with black milk tea. Newer variations include smoothies and slushies as alternatives. I’m personally fond of green tea combined with floral or fruit flavors. Thus, my newest series has a food stall run by two cousins, and they offer a signature grapefruit green tea. It’s too bad one of their customers is found dead next to this very same beverage in Death By Bubble Tea (L.A. Night Market Mystery Book 1).
Grapefruit Green Tea with Boba
(serves one)
Ingredients
1½ cups jasmine green tea
½ medium grapefruit
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/4 cup boba
Simple syrup:
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
Directions
Boil 1½ cups water and make jasmine green tea; let steep.
Juice the grapefruit half.
Cook boba according to package instructions (I like using the five-minute quick-cooking variety).
Make simple syrup: bring ½ cup water to boil and remove from heat; stir in ½ cup sugar and let dissolve; cool.
Add cooked boba to simple syrup (this keeps balls from sticking together and adds sweetness).
Pour tea into glass. Stir in grapefruit juice and maple syrup. Add desired amount of ice to tea or refrigerate to chilled. Scoop up boba and place in drink.
ABOUT DEATH BY BUBBLE TEA
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Two cousins who start a food stall at their local night market get a serving of murder in this first novel of a delicious new cozy mystery series by Jennifer J. Chow, author of Mimi Lee Gets a Clue.
When Yale Yee discovers her cousin Celine is visiting from Hong Kong, she is obliged to play tour guide to a relative she hasn’t seen in twenty years. Not only that, but her father thinks it’s a wonderful idea for them to bond by running a food stall together at the Eastwood Village Night Market. Yale hasn’t cooked in years, and she hardly considers Celine’s career as a social media influencer as adequate experience, but because she’s just lost her job at her local bookstore, she feels she has no choice.
Yale and Celine serve small dishes and refreshing drinks, and while business is slow, it eventually picks up thanks to Celine’s surprisingly useful marketing ideas. They’re quite shocked that their bubble tea, in particular, is a hit—literally—when one of their customers turns up dead. Yale and Celine are prime suspects due to the gold flakes that Celine added to the sweet drink as a garnish. Though the two cousins are polar opposites in every way, they must work together to find out what really happened to the victim or the only thing they’ll be serving is time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR/GIVEAWAY
Jennifer J. Chow writes cozies with heart, humor, and heritage. She is the twice-nominated Lefty Award author of the Sassy Cat Mysteries. The first in the Sassy Cat series, Mimi Lee Gets A Clue, was selected as an OverDrive Recommended Read, a PopSugar Best Summer Beach Read, and one of BuzzFeed’s Top 5 Books by AAPI authors. Her new series is the L.A. Night Market Mysteries, and Death by Bubble Tea, which the New York Times called “the first in a fizzy new series,” hit the SoCal Indie Bestseller List. She currently serves as President on the national board of Sisters in Crime, blogs at www.chicksonthecase.com, and participates in Crime Writers of Color.
www.jenniferjchow.com/newsletter
https://www.instagram.com/jenjchow/
https://www.facebook.com/JenJChow
One lucky commenter will win a signed paperback copy of Death By Bubble Tea (US only).
What’s one of your favorite beverages? Comment below for a chance to win.
Refreshing! I can't have grapefruit - can you suggest a substitute?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Edith! Citrus fruit works well (oranges, lemons), but actually you can pop in other soft fresh fruit, like mashed strawberries, as a good substitute.
DeleteI've heard of bubble tea, but have never gotten to try it. Thank you so much for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteI love citrus green tea and with the cold weather I enjoy a mug of hot spiced cider from time to time.
Would love the opportunity to read and review 'Death By Bubble Tea'. Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
You're welcome, Kay! Warm drinks are great in the winter!
DeleteMy favorite beverage is cider.
ReplyDeleteKitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net
I've made fresh cider before, and it's wonderful!
DeleteI like hot spiced tea.
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Yum! Thanks for commenting, Nancy!
DeleteWhen I was first introduced to boba tea, it was instant love! The gelatinous little balls remind me of a favorite childhood desert in Chile made with tapioca. I have been hooked ever since, and love to try new flavors every time I visit my favorite boba tea establishment. I thank you profusely for the recipe, which I will make with fresh grapefruit I picked just yesterday. Thank you for your brilliant writing and for generously offering a copy of Death By Bubble Tea to one fortunate reader. Happy New year! luis at ole dot travel
ReplyDeleteLove at first sight--hurrah! I want to hear more about childhood dessert from Chile!
DeleteThis recipe is pretty much like the dessert we had at home, and can be made with other fruits:https://producemadesimple.ca/chilean-orange-kiwi-tapioca-parfait/
DeleteI like lemonade over summer, hot chocolate in winter. Never had bubble tea, though I hear it's starting to become popular around here, but have to travel to a bigger town to find it.
ReplyDeletekozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com
Lemonade and hot cocoa are classic! (They actually even make lemonade and hot chocolate drinks with boba now.)
DeleteI have heard of bubble tea, but never knew where it originated. This is so interesting. Love Jennifer's Mimi Lee books! My favorite beverage is an iced mocha....all year long! Thank you for the chance! hsdh1525@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heather! Ooh, iced mocha. I used to drink that a lot, but the caffeine can be a little too much for me these days.
DeleteMy daughter loves bubble tea - I'll make this for her to try. Maybe I'll win your book and be introduced to a new author !
ReplyDeleteThanks for being here, Anita! Hope your daughter enjoys the bubble tea!
DeleteAnita: I think my previous comment didn't go through... Hope your daughter enjoys the bubble tea!
DeleteYour tea drink is very special and I will definitely be drinking this as I am an avid tea drinker. I enjoy so many flavored hot teas and bubble tea is wonderful. Thanks for your delightful recipe and book intro. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome. I love trying all sorts of new teas!
DeleteThanks for visiting, Jennifer. Your new series sounds great. ~Maya
ReplyDeleteSure, Maya. Thanks for letting me visit today!
DeleteHow refreshing this tea looks. I would savor the flavor greatly. I only drink tea because it is so soothing and helps me manage any ails. Mild, light teas, green tea and citrus teas as well as chai. Your book sounds intriguing. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I drink tea to calm myself & get me through any sicknesses--and as a treat.
DeleteI have not tried boba tea because I didn't know what the boba was. Thank you for the explanation. I'll have to try it next time!
ReplyDeleteHappy to get to explain! Yes, try it next time!
DeleteI am not much of a boba fan, but do enjoy a citrus green tea, hot or iced. I tend to the boring, I am a huge fan of cold water. Best of luck with the book!
ReplyDeleteCold water is a must for me. I luckily have one of those fridges that dispenses cold water. Thanks for the well wishes on the book!
Deletecranberry/grape juice. cheetahthecat1982ATgmailDOTcom
ReplyDeleteOh yes, Kim! I also like the sparkling varieties of the juices.
DeleteOrange Pekoe tea with lemon deborahortega229@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThat's a classic and delicious drink!
DeleteMy daughter loves bubble tea. My favorite drink is coffee in the moring and iced water the rest of the day. I like adding lemon or strawberries to my water for fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the chance! Love the book cover!
jarjm1980(at)hotmail(dot)com
It can be a generational thing. My kiddos hang out with their friends at bubble tea shops.
DeleteSometimes I also like putting cucumber in my water; it's refreshing.
I love bubble tea for a treat but I’ll usually opt for coffee.
ReplyDeletenjcar22(at)aol(dot)com
You're definitely not alone on the coffee! My dad is definitely an avid drinker and is currently trying out new k-cup flavors.
DeleteI used to love tapioca as a kid, but it seems to have gone out of fashion--except in bubble tea, that is. So I guess I should start ordering boba when I go out! As for my favorite beverage, that would have to be gin. (I wonder how a boba gin fizz would taste....)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for visiting the Kitchen today, Jen, and yay for your LA Night Market series!
You can make a recipe for boba gin fizz ;)
DeleteThanks for having me on MLK! Glad to be here!
Bubble tea is incredibly popular here in Queens, NYC, and such a treat. Thank you, Jennifer, for the delicious DIY recipe. I'm loving your combination of flavors, too. Welcome to the Kitchen and happy congrats on your terrific new L.A. Night Market series!
ReplyDeleteYes, bubble tea is definitely trending! My NYC friends are always talking about a new boba branch they're trying out. Happy that I get to be on the Kitchen today!
DeleteThis does sound appealing, but I have to avoid grapfruit.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite drink (non-alcoholis, at least) is strong black tea.
libbydodd at comcast dot net
Strong black tea is great. I finally ordered hot tea on a flight over the holidays and was pleasantly surprised.
DeleteStrong black tea is great! I recently ordered some on a flight and was pleasantly surprised.
DeleteHope this comment goes through, Libby! (I don't why it's giving me problems.) I also like strong black tea. I actually ordered some on a recent flight and was pleasantly suprised.
DeleteA cup of strong black tea is great to wake me up!
DeleteMy niece introduced me to bubble tea a few years ago by taking me to a bubble tearoom near Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh PA. So many choices and so much fun!! We each got different flavors and shared. Everyone needs to find one and enjoy the endless and delicious choices.
ReplyDeletelindalou64(@)live(dot)com
Bubble tea shops are very popular near colleges. I agree about the customization; it's great fun getting to put a unique spin on your drink!
DeleteMy favorite beverage is iced tea with lemon. I've never had bubble tea, but I really want to try it now.
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com)
Iced tea is my go-to drink for lunch. Hope you get to try some bubble tea soon!
DeleteI did try bubble tea and liked it. My favorite drink is black tea in the morning and iced tea in the afternoon during the summer. Thanks for the chance.
ReplyDeleteYes, tea in the morning and in the afternoon!
DeleteMy youngest sister just introduced me to Mango spice tea---Passionate Fruit & I must say I really like it and it is one of my favorite beverages. don(dot)stewart(at)zoominternet(dot)net
ReplyDeleteHope I Win
I've tried mango black tea and find that tasty!
DeleteWhen we visited home (Hawai'i), we had boba tea three times, at three different shops in Honolulu. Each place was busy, and all the teas were delicious! teenlibn(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteBoba in Hawaii sounds like a winning combo!
DeleteI love a variety of teas, hot and iced. I also love iced coffee in the mornings to get me going. Afternoon varies, depending on the weather. If it is cold outside, I will have hot tea or hot chocolate. If it is warm, then I will have ice water or iced tea. I tried boba tea this past year and really liked it. Thanks for visiting today and telling us about your book which sounds wonderful. cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your drink choices, and glad to be here!
DeleteLemonade or chai tea
ReplyDeleteWskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com
Great choices!
DeleteLove boba tea especially mango. Thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeleteJess
maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com
Mango--yum!
DeleteYour cozy sounds really interesting as does the tea recipe. I have always been a fan of grapefruit, so I'll need to give this recipe a try. Hopefully I will be able to pair it with a copy of your book. My usual standby is a half n half Southern Style sweet tea. The half/half part is because I can't take a full southern sweet, just too sweet, even with my southern roots. Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy of your new book! tracy.condie@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tracy! Good luck! (Half/half seems like a great plan because sometimes sweet tea is too sweet for me.)
DeleteI make my own iced coffee with brewed coffee, caramel and a sweetened creamer on ice! tWarner419@aol.com
ReplyDelete