Bubble Tea

Also Known As: Pearl Milk Tea, Bubble Milk, Boba

Bubble tea cafe shops seem to be on every corner just as much as coffee shops, especially within recent years. According to Wikipedia, bubble tea is a tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s.

According to Eater.com, in its most basic form, this drink consists of black tea, milk, ice, and chewy tapioca pearls, shaken and served with a wider straw to accommodate the marbles of tapioca that cluster at the bottom of the cup.

Over the decades, and most noteable over the recent years, especially because of social media (i.e Instagram), bubble tea has evolved from a basic tapioca ice tea recipe to an entire genre of flavors, varieties, and customization.

Different Types of Bubble Tea

• Classic Milk Tea
  Consists of tea shaken with frothy milk, ice, and few generous handfuls of caramelized tapioca pearls.
• Brown Sugar Bubble Tea
  Consists of tea shaken with frothy milk, ice, and few generous handfuls of caramelized tapioca pearls.
• Taro Milk Tea
  Taro ranges from purple-tinged brown to nearly lilac. Its coconut-like flavor is pureed and added to boba milk tea which acts like a thickener and increases flavor.
• Fruit-Filled Bubble Tea
  Fresh-based boba drinks either in tea or slushie form. Some flavors include mango, lycee, watermelon, passionfruit, peach, strawberry, etc.
• Fully Loaded Bubble Tea
  In addition to the regular tapioca balls, there are many add-ons one can add to their drink. Some popular add-ons include: grass jelly, aloe vera, custardy egg pudding, chai seeds, and almond jelly.
• Eye Candy Bubble Tea
  Many makers are finding new ingredients to infuse in the basic bubble tea receipe such as spicy drinks with red-hot pearls and chile powder, tie-dye version made from blue butterfly pea, or alternative organic sweetners like honey or agave nectar.
• Cheese-topped Bubble Tea
  Another popular topping to boba is cheese. This cheese-topped drink consists of combing powdered cheese and salt with whipping cream and milk. This combination creates a foamy, tangy layer ontop of a cold tea.