Who isn’t up for a nice cup of milk tea these days? Love it, hate it, or you haven’t tried it at all (*gasps*) – there’s no mistaking that milk tea is still trending until now. Unlike many trends that have come and gone, the milk tea craze won’t seem to be cooling down anytime soon.
Milk Tea Obsession
Did you know that Southeast Asians drink at least 4 cups of bubble tea per person each month? Thailand ranking at the top with 6 cups per person, and the Philippines following in close second with 5 cups. :O
According to a recent study, “the bubble tea industry is expected to grow by almost $2 billion to a whopping $4.3 billion by 2027.” Nowadays, milk tea stores continue to diversify their menus with different flavors, tea bases, chewy additives, and other creative ingredients.
There’s something special about having these drinks in their original form from the store. Now with the community quarantine, we usually have them delivered via the major food delivery apps. The con? Sometimes our craving hits too early in the morning or too late at night that these shops are still or already closed. The good news? Serenitea now offers DIY milk tea kits so milk tea lovers can enjoy their Okinawa Brown Sugar Milk Tea or Taro Lover no matter what time of day, without even leaving home.
Serenitea Express: Serenitea DIY Home Kits
Given the limited number of open stores during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) period, Serenitea could not cater to the milk tea cravings of loyal customers and milk tea lovers. To better serve those who prefer (or are forced) to stay at home, Serenitea Express was launched in April 18, 2020. With Serenitea Express, you can recreate the Serenitea experience at home with DIY (do-it-yourself) home kits.
Serenitea DIY Home Kits consist of instant drink mixes and ingredients. These are available at select Serenitea stores, online stores, third party deliveries (Happy Move), pabili services (Joyride), and the country’s most popular online shopping platforms, Lazada and Shopee.
How to Make Milk Tea at Home “The Serenitea Way”
I got the 3-in-1 Okinawa Home Kit D. Inside the kit, there are 15 sachets of 3-in-1 Okinawa Milk Tea (55g per sachet) and 2 packs of uncooked pearls (500g per pack).
Instructions:
1. Cook the pearls.
- Boil water. Water capacity should be two times the weight of the pearls. For example, if you’re cooking 500g of pearls, water should be 1000ml.
- Pour pearls once water is boiling. Use an egg beater to spread out the pearls.
- Cooking time is 5 to 10 minutes depending on your preferred pearl texture. I cooked mine for 10 minutes and the pearls turned out chewy. They’re bouncy, soft, and fun to munch on, much like chewing gum.
- Next, rinse the pearl in running water until pearls cool down. Use filtered water as much as possible.
- Drain out all the water.
Optional: Add sugar syrup or washed sugar as preferred into the pearl and mix well. I didn’t add any sweetener because I know the milk tea mix will already be sweet enough for my liking.
2. Prepare the milk tea.
- Tear off sachet and pour the milk tea mix into a cup or a glass.
- Pour about 350ml of hot water and stir until powder has completely dissolved.
- If you want it cold, fill with ice up to 90% of the cup or glass.
3. Assemble the milk tea with the pearls.
Pour some pearls and mix well to combine and taste for sweetness. If desired, add additional sugar or sweetener, then serve with large straws or long spoons.
How to Make the Sweet, Rich, and Creamy Taro Lover
I got the Taro Lover Home Kit C, which contains 1kg of taro ready-mix powder and 1kg of panna cotta powder.
Instructions:
1. Prep the panna cotta at least two to four hours ahead of time.
- Boil water. When water is boiling, pour the panna cotta powder and stir until it dissolves. Turn off heat. Note that the cooking ratio is 1:5, or like 200g of panna cotta powder and 1000ml water.
- Pour in a heat-proof try or small cups (for individual portions). Set aside to cool and set. I placed the glass tray inside the refrigerator and waited for four hours.
2. Mix taro powder with milk.
- Pour powder into a cup. Dissolve 50g (or 3 tablespoons) of taro powder in a 7-oz. hot water.
- Add either 15 to 20g of powdered milk or 100g of fresh milk to the dissolved taro mixture.
- Add sugar to taste and ice cubes.
3. Put them together.
Scoop in some panna cotta into the glass and stir several times to swirl the milk and the taro drink together. Enjoy your Taro Lover while cold. Pinkies up!
Should you try it?
Yes! If you love drinking milk tea or an ube-flavored “taro” ice drink and especially if you miss Serenitea, then Serenitea Express is for you. Serenitea drinks are generally tasty and can be a substitute to a snack. The ingredients are simple, and the instructions are easy to follow. Since I was able to do it, for sure, you can do it, too! 🙂
Things to Know:
- There are 8 bundle sets with combinations of sinkers to match your preferences.
- Each instant mix sachet is equivalent to one 16-oz serving and can be served either hot or cold.
- One kit can make approximately 15 cups.
- Instructions on how to prepare the drinks and sinkers are included in the kits.
Price List:
- Okinawa 3 in 1 (15 sachets) – P699
- Okinawa 3 in 1 (15 sachets) + Egg Pudding (1kg.) – P1,299
- Okinawa 3 in 1 (15 sachets) + Panna Cotta (1kg) – P 1,199
- Okinawa 3 in 1 (15 sachets) + Pearl (2 packs of 500 grams) – P1,099
- Taro Powder (1kg.) + Okinawa 3 in 1 (15 sachets) – P1,299
- Taro Powder (1kg) + Egg Pudding (1kg) – P1,299
- Taro Powder (1kg) + Panna Cotta (1kg) – P1,199
- Taro Powder (1kg) + Pearl (2 packs of 500 grams) – P1,099
With the Serenitea DIY Home Kits, everyone can enjoy the Serenitea experience at the comfort of their own home. Have fun making your favorite drinks with your family!
Bonus: With a minimum single receipt purchase of P700, you can get a free limited-edition #SereniteaXPacMan reusable tumbler until August 15, 2020.
To know more and to keep updated on the latest promos and activities, like Serenitea on Facebook and follow @iloveserenitea and #SereniteaAtHome on Instagram and Twitter.
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
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