Taro Milk is made of Taro roots. It is a root crop, which is a starchy, mildly sweet root crop also famous as “Gabe” in the Philippines. Gabe is the plant we used for “Ginataang Gabe” and the root crop is called Taro. But in the Philippines, it’s also commonly known as “bunga ng Gabi/Gabe”.
Taro is used in many Asian dishes too, which they call taro root. Taro or Gabe is used to make this creamy light purple-hued tea. The beverage is perfectly smooth and soothing, making it ideal for any time of day. It is mixed with milk and perfectly sweetened. Best to make for summer drinks business. It’s natural and healthy compared to retail milk tea that is mostly made of powdered chemicals. Homemade is always the right choice. The recipe below is made for one serving to give you the gist per glass (ratio) when making bulk drinks.
Taro Milk Tea Recipe (With Real Taro or Gabe)
INGREDIENTS:
150g peeled and cubed taro (about 1/2 cup)
½ teaspoon sugar
A pinch of salt
3 tbsp instant tapioca pearls
2 teaspoon brown sugar
½ cup black tea strongly brewed
250 ml milk (plant based milk also works well)
1 teaspoon condensed milk (if not, it’s fine)
Drop of Purple gel food color
INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare Taro/Gabe: Steam the cubed taro root for 20 minutes until it becomes soft enough to poke through with a fork.
Use a fine strainer (salaan) and pass it through by pushing it with a spoon to mash the taro root to an even paste. Then add the sugar.
To Cook Pearls: Bring a pot of boiling water first, before adding the pearls and brown sugar. Boil for 5-7 minutes until the pearls float. Adjust the timing depending on how firm or soft you prefer them.
Remove from hot water and drain.
Prepare the Tea: Brew black tea and mix well with fresh ground taro paste with condensed milk.
Add the milk, sugar, purple color to the mixture. Mix it well. Serve it chilled.
