Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years, you’ve definitely heard of Boba- though if you live on the East Coast you might be more used to calling it Bubble Tea! But unless you’re a very adventurous eater, or have spent a lot of time in East Asian, you may not actually know exactly what Boba is, or why it’s so famous! Not to worry- I am here to help!
What Is Boba
Boba really just means a “chunky” drink, so many different things can quality! But what we usually think of as boba is a milky tea drink with sweet balls or pearls at the bottoms. Those pearls are made of tapioca, a starchy white extract of the cassava plant. While tapioca on its own is pretty bland, the addition of syrups and sugars make it a delicious chewy treat at the bottom of many peoples’ new favorite trendy drink!
Ok, so now you know what boba is in general. But what about all the different kinds out there? Let’s go through a few of the most popular varieties:
Classic Milk Tea or Bubble Tea
This is the original, so if you’ve never had boba before this is a great way to start! The classic boba is made of tea mixed together with milk and a handful of tapioca pearls. But it’s not as simple as that! The tea used can be black, or green, or oolong, or white. In addition, you can use either normal cow’s milk or get more creative! Many bubble teas are made with non-dairy creamer, and others use condensed milk (for a sweater and creamier drink), coconut milk, or even ice cream! Yum!
Fruit Bubble Teas
Bubble teas with fruit added are extremely popular in the US- and especially on instagram, as the fruit often lends the drink a beautiful and photogenic color! These are also probably the safest boba drink to start with if its something you’re not familiar with and you’re not too adventurous… it’s really just a delicious fruity iced tea with some (optional) tapioca pearls thrown in!
Taro Bubble Tea
Ok, now that the unadventurous eaters have ordered their fruit tea… the more adventurous among us can get a taro bubble tea! As you might have guessed, taro bubble tea us made with pureed taro root. Taro is a root vegetable similar to a potato that is common in the tropics, and it lends the bubble tea an earthy and sweet taste. And as a bonus, taro also turns the tea a beautiful purple color- so you can Instagram your boba adventure!
Thai Bubble Tea
This Thai version of boba is made with very strong black iced tea mixed with condensed milk, which makes it extremely sweet, creamy, and delicious! It can come with or without tapioca pearls, but of course since you are now a boba connoisseur you always choose with pearls!
Well, there you have it! Now you are a boba master! The next step is to find some boba tea or bubble tea restaunts near you! Or, for even more fun- why not make your own!