MANGO SMOOTHIE WITH BOBA
Has everyone jumped on the boba trend yet? (Or is the boba trend on it’s way out..? I can never be sure..)
Since moving to California I’ve been educated on numerous Asian trends, and boba is certainly one of my favorites. I did have boba in college, but back in Michigan (which is basically the East Coast when you live in California), it’s referred to as bubble tea.
If you happen to have never heard of boba before, it’s a type of drink that originated in Taiwan and can be anything from a milky tea drink to a fruit smoothie. The common denominator between the drinks is the tapioca “boba” which are round, gummy, and occasionally fruit flavored spheres that you suck up with a wide-bore straw and which create a very interesting textural drinking experience.Mango Smoothie with Boba- thegourmetgourmand.comTaro milk tea boba with black tapioca has always been my standard drink of choice, but the fruitier teas are always welcome and the popping boba are always an interesting and fun taste adventure.
So up until very recently I hadn’t really tried the smoothie variety of boba. Or sweetened blended fruity ice drink. Whatever you want to call it.Mango Smoothie with Boba- thegourmetgourmand.comBut I needed to figure out something to do with all the beautiful Ataulfo Mangoes I so recently purchased. And I have a friend who has been begging me for a recipe for a Mango Smoothie with Boba, so in this week, all the stars aligned, and I attempted my version of this amazing and refreshing beverage.
I do recommend Ataulfo mangoes for this recipe and here’s why- they tend to be sweeter, slipperier, and less fibrous than the standard mangoes you find at so many American grocery stores. This make it a heck of a lot easier to make a smoothie more delicious and flavored correctly. But if you can’t find this type of mango, I suppose I will grant permission for you to use another variety. (At your own peril!)Mango Smoothie with Boba- thegourmetgourmand.comThis recipe is incredibly easy and just includes mango, ice, and condensed milk as the sweetener.
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If you are going to do the boba, I’d definitely suggest getting the wide-bore straws that you find at boba restaurants. I found mine at 99 Ranch, an Asian grocery store chain common out here in California. But if you don’t have access to this type of store, you can find the straws over on amazon. The boba pearls are also available here.
