What is bubble tea?

The basics:

Boba (the tasty beverage)

If you've never heard of Bubble Tea before, you are not alone. The concoction has only been introduced to the world over the last 2 decades, and has been rapidly gaining popularity in the US in the last few years. The main item that sets bubble tea apart from other drinks is the presence of pearls of tapioca at the bottom of the cup.

The essence of bubble tea lies in it's four elements.

• The Texture element


• The Liquid element


• The Flavor element


• The Sweetener element

Boba (the tapioca pearl) - The Texture Element

• The tapioca pearls, also called boba, QQ's and chewies, are made from the starch of the cassava root. They are the same substance as the "fish eye" tapioca pudding that so many people love (or hate), only much bigger (about 1 cm in diameter).


• The pearls are cooked in boiling water for about 25 minutes, steeped for another 25 minutes, then rinsed in cold water. Finally they are covered in sugar syrup.


• After being cooked and drenched in sweet sugar, the boba are put into the bottom of a cup to have the remaining, mixed components of bubble tea poured over them: the flavor (fruit or powdered), the tea, and the milk/creamer.


• These chewy and sweet pearls are what make bubble tea fun to drink. If you haven't ever tried tapioca pearls in bubble tea before, it is definitely a "different" experience. People aren't used to chewing on their beverage.

Tea - The Liquid Element

• Almost all Bubble Tea contains tea in one form or another. Different types of teas are used for different flavors and styles of drink.


• Black, Green Jasmine, Thai and Red teas area few of the most common styles, with most being scented with different flavors such as Lychee, Vanilla, Almond and countless others.


• The tea is brewed strong so that the flavor is more intense, though the other flavor and sweeter elements keep the tea from becoming bitter.


• In many drinks, a green tea is used that has been ground to a fine powder, called matcha. This tea is the same tea used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. The quality used in the ceremonies is usually much higher than that used in bubble tea however.

Powders, Syrups, Milk and Creamer and Fruits - The Flavor Element

• The Flavor Element of bubble tea comes mainly from either fruits and other foods or flavor powders. Refined creamer, milk, cereal cream, and coconut milk also add a creamy note to the mix.


• Fruits (honeydew, mango, many others), roots (in the case of taro), beans (red bean, green bean) or nuts (almond, peanut) are just some of the food elements that give bubble tea it's unique flavor. Cafes also combine flavors to make new ones (chocolate banana, raspberry vanilla) the limit is basically what your taste buds can dream up.


• Flavor powders are sometimes used for making bubble tea, mainly because of the speed and efficiency of having most of the ingredients pre-mixed and ready to just add water or tea. The verdict is not altoghether unanimous when it comes to using powders however. Some believe it to be the best way to make bubble tea, since you can't botch it very easily. They enjoy the consistent results. Others prefer the fresh fruit, tea and milk or creamer variety, claiming that it has the best taste. The best bubble tea is the one that tastes best to YOU.


• One important note: Don't use milk or cream with most fresh fruits like orange, pineapple, lemon, etc. - Try refined creamer. Why? The milk will curdle and will look quite unappetizing. Experiment, but make sure that you try it on yourself first!

Sugar, Sugar Syrup and Honey - The Sweetener Element

• Bubble tea is usually known for being sweet. It can be ordered with less sweetener, but most of the time the sweetness complements the unique flavors.


• A simple Sugar Syrup is used to sweeten the mix, but plain can sugar or brown sugar are used. Some recipes call for honey as well, and it can be substituted for the sugar syrup in many cases.