Feng cha, more commonly known as boba, has become a huge staple in many people’s lives today – but did you know that Feng cha can be made at home? It’s true! And when you make it yourself, you can customize the flavours and toppings to your preference. Read on to learn how to make Feng cha the ultimate guide so that you can impress your friends with this tasty DIY treat.
What is Feng Cha?
Feng cha is one of the most common Asian refreshments and comes in wide varieties. Depending on the ingredients or country of origin, it can taste slightly different from place to place. Although the drink has a few variations (coconut milk, lychee juice, chrysanthemum flowers), this post will focus on the lemon-flavoured variety commonly found in Taiwan and China.
There are three main steps to making Feng cha:
Preparing the syrup base.
Mixing various liquids and tea leaves.
Cooking the tea until it reaches desired flavour.
For your Feng cha to turn out correctly, follow these steps!
What Types of tea are used in Feng cha
Tea leaves are steeped in a pot of water for a specific time, usually three to five minutes. When the tea is at its peak, it is poured into another container with a small number of jasmine flowers and sugar. The sugar acts as an activator for the jasmine, allowing it to become infused with the tea. Jasmine tea should be served to pipe hot, not steam or boil.
Feng cha is usually served in a transparent glass that allows you to see how light the liquid becomes when being boiled and then cooled down by pouring it over ice cubes. Drinkers should stir their Feng cha before drinking to enjoy both sweetened and unsweetened portions of the drink.
Why is Feng cha so tasty?
The sweetness in the tea comes from brown sugar and red beans. Traditionally, these ingredients are added together in the bowl before being poured over tea leaves and steeped in a pot of water. Modern times, these ingredients can be pre-mixed into cups of black tea.
It’s said that Feng cha was invented in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), but it wasn’t until centuries later that it started becoming a popular drink. Legend has it that in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) era, Emperor Kangxi had an imperial banquet with 500 tables, and at each table, they served wine and other alcohol as well as dishes like dumplings. No officials were present at this feast which weren’t drunk by midnight, so his son, Emperor Qianlong, came up with a way to sober everyone up – he ordered hot bowls of Feng cha to be served to everyone who needed sobering up.
Equipment needed for making Feng cha
1. Frying pan (for browning the shrimp paste)
2. Wok (for deep-frying the noodles)
3. Large bowl with oil and water mixed in it (for quickly frying and cooking the noodles)
4. Heat-resistant gloves or tongs
5. Spatula or fork for stirring the mixture
6. Pot for boiling water
7. Knives for cutting up leeks, red chillies, fish sauce, sugar, and so on
8. Mixing spoon
9. Plastic wrap
10. Container for storing your Feng cha after you’re done making it
11. Paper towels
12. Dried squid
13. Raw shrimp
14. Dried mushrooms
15. Dried bamboo shoots
Step-by-step instructions on how to make Feng cha
Feng cha is usually made with two tea leaves, but one is more important than the other. Tea leaves should be brewed at the correct temperature and steeped long enough so that the leaves release their flavorful oils into the liquid. Once brewed, strain out all the solids and serve as is or add any of these four optional ingredients: condensed milk, honey, lemon juice or salt. When making Feng cha, it’s important to use water that has just come to a boil and not boiling water because it will ruin the flavour of the tea.
One teaspoon of each type of tea is typically used per cup. It’s also best to keep both teas in separate containers until they are ready for brewing because this will help them maintain their original flavours. If desired, sweeten your Feng cha by adding any optional additions: condensed milk, honey, lemon juice or salt.
Tips and tricks to making Feng cha
Be sure you start with a clean pot or saucepan. If it is not stainless steel, use a non-stick coating like Teflon, so your leaves won’t stick. Add water to the bottom of the pan or pot, then add milk and sugar until the boiling point is reached. Next, remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes before adding tea bags. Allow the tea to steep for about 15 minutes before removing the tea bags. Serve with ice cubes on top of the leaf-filled container.
Conclusion
That is it! You have learned everything you need to know about making Feng cha. Review this recipe with someone knowledgeable and see what they think. If they agree, you are good to go. But if they say that there might be something missing, do some more research or make a different variation of the recipe and ask for their opinion again. Hopefully, you will get the same feedback and can continue making your tea!
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