Have you tried bubble tea? I have to admit that the first time I tried it, I was unimpressed and maybe even a bit grossed out. But since then, I’ve grown to love this popular Taiwanese tea drink.
Whether you’re simply curious, or you can’t get enough of this interesting tea drink, here’s all the information you need to figure out if this chewy drink is for you.
If you already have a love affair going with this special tea drink, scroll to the end to find my favorite recipe to make it at home.
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Table Of Contents
- What is Bubble Tea?
- Other Names for Bubble Tea
- Popular Bubble Tea Ingredients
- Types of Tea in Boba Tea
- Types of Milk in Bubble Tea
- Types of Tapioca in Pearl Tea
- How to Make Tapioca Pearls
- Sweeteners in Pearl Tea
- Is it Bubble Tea without the Tea?
- Popular Types of Bubble Tea
- How To Make Your Own Bubble Tea
- How to Order Bubble Tea in a Tea Shop
- More Bubble Tea Flavors to Love
What is Bubble Tea?
Bubble tea is a style of iced tea that was invented in Taiwan in the 1980’s.
It’s traditionally made with sweetened tea, milk, and chewy tapioca balls. (I think it was the chewy part that originally grossed me out – now I LOVE these little tapioca bombs!)
Bubble tea can also be made with fruit flavors like passion fruit, mango and, honeydew melon.
Other Names for Bubble Tea
Bubble tea also goes by several other names. Where I live in California, people usually call it “Boba Tea” or simply “Boba”, but bubble tea vs boba, they’re all the same thing.
So as you read on, any time I refer to any of these, I still mean bubble tea. 🙂
- Boba Milk Tea
- Tapioca Tea
- Pearl Milk Tea
- Boba
Popular Bubble Tea Ingredients
Because there are so many combinations of ingredients, there are practically limitless kinds of boba tea. But nearly all types have these ingredients in common: tea, milk, boba, and sweetner.
Types of Tea in Boba Tea
Because you’ll be diluting your tea with milk, the stronger more robust tasting teas usually work best. They hold up and retain their flavor when mixed with milk.
Black tea (or if you’re Chinese, red tea) is by far the most popular choice for bubble tea.
But, there are lots of varieties of tea that can be used to make Boba:
- Black Tea – Earl Gray, Breakfast Teas
- Jasmine Tea – this tea is usually green tea scented with jasmine
- Green Tea – along with jasmine tea, green tea powders like matcha
- Chai Tea – usually Indian black tea mixed with spices
- Oolong Tea – regular Oolong or green Oolong
- White Tea – not traditional, but sometimes used in Western Countries
Types of Milk in Bubble Tea
The milk in bubble tea is used to give the tea a creamy richer texture and flavor.
Different “milks” give different flavors and textures.
I usually use half-and-half because it makes a more decadent boba tea.
I’ve also made bubble tea with 1% milk which is lighter on the calories but still delicious.
- Fresh dairy milk (whole, 1%, 2%)
- Half-and-half
- Cream
- Condensed milk
- Lactose-free milk like Lactaid
- Ice cream
- Frozen yogurt
If you don’t do dairy, not a problem, because there are also plant based milk choices that make great boba tea.
- Soy milk
- Coconut milk
- Nut milks like almond and cashew
- Non-dairy creamer
Types of Tapioca in Pearl Tea
The most popular “topping” by far is tapioca balls. I used quotes around topping because these little balls actually sink to the bottom of your drink.
Tapioca is starch from the cassava root that’s rolled into balls, cooked and flavored with sugars or syrups.
If you’re buying your boba tea in a tea shop, there will be tons of choices. Not just tapioca balls, but balls made from other kinds of starches like taro root and sweet potato. You’ll even see popping boba at some tea shops, which are little spheres filled with fruit juice.
If you’re making your bubble tea at home, I’d stick with these black tapioca pearls. If you have a local Asian market, they are easy to find. I’m adding the link below so you can see what kind I use for my bubble tea.
The tapioca pearls don’t really taste like much on their own so after you cook them, soak them for a few minutes in a simple syrup (1 part water to 1 part sweetener) or honey.
How to Make Tapioca Pearls
This is my favorite brand of tapioca pearls. Just the right amount of chewiness and very easy to make.
For one serving, add about 1/4 cup to a pot of boiling water and cover. They cook quickly (2.5 to three minutes).
Remove them immediately, dunk them in cold water, drain, soak in some honey or simple syrup and add to your bubble tea.
They don’t keep well, so only make enough to use right away.
Sweeteners in Pearl Tea
Pretty much any type of sweetener works in your bubble tea:
- White sugar
- Brown sugar
- Honey
- Simple Syrup
- Agave nectar
- Brown Sugar Syrup
If you are using honey, white sugar or brown sugar, dissolve it in the hot tea so it all gets mixed in well.
Some people like their boba sweet, and some not so much. I’d start with a tablespoon of honey or sugar and work my way up from there.
A great way to make everyone happy is to whip up a batch of simple syrup and keep it in the refrigerator, then you can add it in at the end and adjust the sweetness to your liking.
Simple syrup is easy to make: Simmer one cup of water and add one cup of white sugar. Stir to dissolve and remove from heat. When cool, refrigerate to use later.
If you’re using syrup, start with two tablespoons and work your way up if you like it sweeter.
You can also use a ready-made simple syrup like the ones made by Toriani.
Is it Bubble Tea without the Tea?
As Boba tea has become more popular there are tons of variations, some of which don’t contain any tea.
Many bubble tea shops make drinks that are fruit-based, cream-based and even some frozen blended drinks, and bubble tea smoothies that don’t use tea as the base.
Popular Types of Bubble Tea
Since each ingredient (tea type, milk type, tapioca type, sweetener type) has a bunch of choices, it can be overwhelming the first time you decide to try a bubble tea.
I’m not an expert in statistics, but it seems like there are almost an unlimited amount of combinations of ingredients!
The first time I went to a tea shop, I had my friend order for me because there were SO many choices and options.
If you’re new to boba, I’d start with this classic choice:
- Milk tea with tapioca pearls – sweetened black tea with milk and tapioca balls.
But if you’re adventurous, there are many popular bubble tea flavors to try.
The recipe below is for this classic kind of tea drink.
MORE TO SIP ON: Thai Iced Tea – Try as a Boba Tea Base
How To Make Your Own Bubble Tea
Here’s how I make my boba tea. It’s a great place to start if you’ve never made your own bubble tea before. You can change things up by choosing your own:
- Type of tea
- Level of sweetness
- Type of Milk
- Amount of tapioca pearls
Yield: 1 serving
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Super delicious bubble tea drink made with brown sugar infused tapioca balls and milk tea. It's quick to assemble once your tea is cool.
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons loose black tea or 2 Earl Grey tea bags
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1/4 cup uncooked WuFuYuan black tapioca pearls
- 3 tablespoons half-and-half
- Extra honey or simple syrup if you like a sweet tea
Instructions
Make the Tea
- Add loose tea to a teapot with a strainer, or add teabag to a mug.
- Pour boiling water over tea and steep for 4-5 minutes if using loose tea, or 2 minutes for teabags.
- Strain loose tea or remove tea bags after steeping. Set aside to cool.
Make the Syrup for the Tapioca Pearls
- Combine 1/4 cup hot water with 1/4 cup brown sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside.
Make Tapioca Pearls
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add tapioca pearls, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Drain, plunge into cold water for a few seconds and drain again.
- Add to the prepared brown sugar syrup and let sit for 10 minutes to absorb the flavor.
Assemble Your Bubble Tea
- Find a cup that holds at least 16 ounces.
- In the bottom of the cup, add the tapioca pearls in the brown sugar syrup.
- Add ice and pour in the cooled tea.
- Top with the half-and-half.
- Stir and enjoy!
Notes
To speed things up, make the tea ahead and refrigerate. The tapioca pearls don't really keep well, so you'll need to cook them right before you make your bubble tea.
Save the environment and get yourself a set of reusable bubble tea straws that you'll use again and again.
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Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 330
Nutrition information assumes using tapioca pearls sweetened in brown sugar syrup, but no additional sweetener
How to Order Bubble Tea in a Tea Shop
Because of the almost unlimited possibilities, it can be intimidating to order your very first bubble tea next time you go into a Kung Fu Tea, or local boba shop.
It’s really pretty simple though. You just have to remember to specify the following:
- Type of tea
- Amount and type of sweetener
- Amount of ice
- Type of topping (tapioca boba, aloe, jelly, popping boba, …)
Enjoy! And don’t forget the big straw!
More Bubble Tea Flavors to Love
- Strawberry Milk Boba Tea
- Chocolate Milk Bubble Tea
- Tiger Milk Tea
- Jasmine Milk Tea with Honey Boba
- Taro Bubble Tea
- Popping Boba Recipe
- Bubble Tea 101
- A Tea Lover’s Guide to Bubble Tea
- Delicious Boba Tea Flavors to Try
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