Boba Tea Mocktail for the Kids

"Boba tea" popped up in Los Angeles about 10 years ago. Tapioca balls are cooked to a very soft stage and then dropped into a drink mixture, usually a sweet tea with cream or tea infused with fruit juice or syrup.

The novelty about this drink is that one can suck up the balls in the straw while sipping on the drink and gulp them all! Boba tea originated in Taiwan and is also known as "bubble tea" and "pearl tea."

This is my version of a kid-friendly "boba tea" and it makes for the perfect kid-friendly sip during the summer.

Ingredients:

Tapioca pearls (not instant tapioca pudding)

Sweetened iced tea

Splash of fruit juice

Directions:

Cook tapioca pearls according to manufacturer's instructions on box until they are very soft and chewy.

Prepare your favorite iced tea blend, either with an instant mix or a brewed tea cooled over ice with sugar added.

Add 1 - 2 tablespoons cooked tapioca pearls to the bottom of a tall glass, fill with cold tea, and add a splash of fruit juice.

Place a straw with a diameter that is larger than the cooked tapioca pearls in the glass and serve.