Okinawa Milk Tea Recipe From Scratch or Powder Form

Okinawa milk tea is a Japanese bubble tea that blends the richness of black tea, the creaminess of milk, and the unique sweetness of Okinawa brown sugar, kokuto. 

With kokuto as the star ingredient, Okinawa milk tea tastes earthy and milky with a smoky, sweet flavour. 

Our recipe will show you how to make this Japanese boba drink from scratch using Okinawa brown sugar. However, we will also cover how to make it using roasted brown sugar Okinawa milk tea powder.

Jump to:

• Okinawa Milk Tea Ingredients
• Okinawa Milk Tea Recipe
• Using Powder
• From Scratch
• Okinawa Milk Tea Vs Brown Sugar Milk Tea
• Okinawa Milk Tea Vs Wintermelon Bubble Tea
• Okinawa Milk Tea Vs Hokkaido Milk Tea
• Calories

Okinawa Milk Tea Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need for our Okinawa milk tea recipe.

• Black tea leaves or bags
• Okinawa brown sugar
• Milk
• Tapioca pearls (optional)

Black Tea

For our Okinawa milk tea recipe, we're using 3 teaspoon of Assam leaves for a strong and distinctly malty flavour. You can also use bags for convenience. However, if you want a more complex base, you can use our classic bubble tea blend, which is 4 g of Assam (2 tsp), 1 g of Ceylon (½ tsp), and 1g of Oolong (½ tsp). Earl Grey and English breakfast can also work well with our recipe.

Kokutou Okinawa Brown Sugar

Okinawa milk tea is special because it's made of Okinawa brown sugar. The Japanese word Kokutou (黒糖) translates directly to 'black sugar'. However, it is closest to dark brown sugar when contextualised to Western cuisine. 

While the flavour is closest to brown sugar milk tea, which uses dark brown sugar or muscovado, the usage of Okinawa kokuto adds a nuanced sweetness to the drink. Therefore, if you substitute it with another ingredient, it won't be the same. Kokuto's sweetness is close to palm sugar, or Gula Melaka, used in many Southeast Asian dessert recipes. But even so, it is not the same.

Milk

We recommend using whole milk as the creaming agent. The creamy texture of fresh dairy enriches the taste of this full-bodied beverage. Alternatively, you can use a plant-based alternative like almond or soy milk. Although your drink won't be as creamy, it will still taste delicious. We would avoid coconut milk in our recipe as the strong coconut flavour will overpower the other flavours.

Using Powder

For beginners, using powders that are bundled together in bubble tea kits might be the best option when making this Okinawa speciality. It's quick, convenient and cheaper than the kokuto you might find at your local store.  

Here's the recipe:

1. Steep 6g of black tea in 220 ml of hot water for about 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Mix in 50g of the milk tea powder. Then, mix in 30g of non-dairy creamer.
3. Place 2 tablespoons of tapioca pearls at the bottom of a glass cup.
4. Pour 350g of ice into the cup.
5. Pour the drink into the iced cup. Enjoy!

Recommended Brands

If you're unable to find Okinawa milk tea powder, you can buy it online. Our recommended brands are Casa and BOBA CHiC. 

We prefer these brands because their high-quality powder retains the authentic taste of the roasted brown sugar in the drink. Furthermore, the price tag isn't too high, and it's easy to use.

From Scratch

For an authentic experience, enjoy this Japanese beverage with Okinawa brown sugar. Compared to the powder version, kokuto enhances the heavenly flavour of this drink in a way packaged powder cannot. 

However, if you don't have kokuto, toasted sugar, molasses or regular brown sugar can work as substitutes for the Okinawa Milk Tea recipe.

Additionally, you can also control the amount of caffeine in your drink. For a higher caffeine intake, prepare boiling water, use broken tea leaves, and steep your tea leaves for longer.

Okinawa Milk Tea Vs Brown Sugar Milk Tea

The Japanese speciality traditionally uses black tea as its foundation, whereas brown sugar boba tea isn't actually tea at all despite its name. The latter beverage, which originates from Taiwan and is also known as Mudflip or Tiger Boba, does not contain any tea ingredient in its recipe.

Many prefer the first option due to its hearty and fulfilling flavour. It's perfect for when you want to unwind and relax, especially since it has a pleasant scorching aroma. Moreover, it's way healthier than brown sugar bubble tea because kokuto is packed with calcium, potassium, and iron instead of raw, unhealthy sugar.

Okinawa Milk Tea Vs Wintermelon Bubble Tea

While winter melon bubble tea has a light and fruity flavour, the black sugar drink has a much more refined and nuanced taste. 

Although winter melon is a more common boba drink flavour, it surprisingly has a milder taste compared to the former. Additionally, winter melon bubble tea just doesn't have the smooth creaminess of this Japanese beverage.

For fans of jasmine or oolong boba drinks, we recommend winter melon bubble tea. For black tea lovers, go for kokuto bubble tea.

Okinawa Milk Tea Vs Hokkaido Milk Tea

Even though both have a black tea base, the Hokkaido bubble tea variant uses brown sugar, honey or caramel while the Okinawa-based drink uses kokuto as its sweetener. 

This causes the sugary sweet taste of the Hokkaido beverage to be much more intense than the Okinawan counterpart. However, the sweeteness in the Okinawa beverage delivers a sweet flavour that mixes harmoniously with the richness of black tea.

Regarding texture, the Hokkaido version is much milkier than the roasted brown sugar one. Therefore, the kokuto-based drink is a better fit for those who want a more nuanced flavour that doesn't get overshadowed by the taste of milk.

You can also make a combination of both drinks by using kokuto and Hokkaido milk in one drink. Take it a step further by adding a cream cheese foam top.

Calories

A 500 ml serving of this Okinawa milk tea recipe is about 185 calories. Compared to fruit-based bubble tea, which can reach up to 350 calories, this beverage is the perfect alternative for boba tea lovers.

If you are concerned about the calories in your boba drink, check out our full guide on bubble tea calories.Everyone loves a good glass of bubble tea. If you enjoyed our recipe, share your photos on our Instagram and tag @honestfoodtalks.