Bubble tea: tapioca to drink –

Bubble tea, or bubble tea, is an oriental drink that is also popular among westerners. The original recipe takes tapioca pearls and concentrated juice bubbles, which promote a delicious, relaxing sensation when chewed. As tapioca pearls are not easily found here – despite the fact that the cassava, which gives rise to them, is a native plant – the Brazilians are replacing the ingredient with sago (made with cassava flour) to make the bubbles. That’s right, those balls used in popular sweets, like wine sago.

The Brazilian version is being called drinking tapioca — although tapioca and sago are not exactly the same thing, it’s good to be clear. Anyway, the adapted drink has flavor, charm and can even help with the diet. According to nutritionist Paula Castilho, from Sabor Integral Consultoria em Nutrição, she is not that skinny – since two tablespoons of sago have 100 calories. On the other hand, it offers a great feeling of satiety: “The sago turns into a gum inside the stomach, reducing the space for food. Consequently, it inhibits the desire to eat all the time”, explains the nutritionist, who recommends the drink as a snack between meals. She teaches the recipe you see here (below).

You can play with the flavors: you can use two, one for the bubbles and one for the liquid. Some suggestions: hibiscus with red fruit tea; green tea with mint and black tea with citrus tea. To add value to the drink, Paula recommends teas with a thermogenic and detox effect. “Green and hibiscus tea are great options, as they help burn fat and eliminate additives such as preservatives and dyes used in industrialized products,” she explains. You can also add fruits – tangerine segments, lemon slices, strawberry pieces – to make the drink even more delicious and nutritious.

Ingredients

for the bubbles
2 col. (soup) of sago
2 tea bags of your choice
2 to 3 cups. (tea) of water

for the liquid
1 cup (200 ml) of water
1 tea bag of your choice
1 col. (soup) honey or agave
Tangerine segments, lemon slice, pieces of fruit (optional)
Free ice

Way of doing
Soak the sago for two hours. Heat the water in a pan. Wait for it to start boiling, turn off the heat, add the two tea bags, cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove the sachets and add the drained sago, letting it cook according to the time stipulated on the package (about 10 minutes). Turn off, mix the honey and let it cool. Make the tea (liquid) and let it cool. With the two ingredients cold, assemble the drink: place the sago at the bottom of the glass (or bowl), the pieces of fruit, ice and tea. Is ready!

Yield: 1 cup
Calories: 165