summer drinks

We're supposed to feel the onset of cooler fall weather by now but it's still hot and humid where we are. We may have a few more summer days left to enjoy these cold summer drinks :-) I've just discovered bubble tea (also known as boba milk tea in Asia) and we've also been trying to make Vietnamese coffee lately. We still have to perfect it though.

I've been curious about the popularity of bubble tea. I finally got to try mango bubble tea at our favorite Vietnamese restaurant recently. I just love the chewy black tapioca in the bubble tea. They sell the quick-cooking kind at the Asian store which takes only 5 minutes to cook. Thai instant milk tea is the stuff I use for my bubble tea at home. Other flavors like taro, green tea, honeydew and mango are also available.

Vietnamese iced coffee

This Vietnamese drip-style coffee press (shown below) can be tricky to use. As of now, I'm still figuring out the proper way to regulate the flow. It has to trickle slowly for about 4 minutes to achieve the correct intensity of coffee flavor. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of condensed milk in a tall glass. Pour the coffee over it and stir, then add ice to make a refreshing iced coffee drink. Based on my husband's research, Cafe du Monde is the best brand to use for this.