What is boba tea

So what is bubble tea, exactly? Everything you need to know about the drink and boba balls

Contrary to its name, there are no bubbles in bubble tea. There isn’t always tea, either. Even so, people are obsessed with the drink that features a base made from tea, fruit, coffee or milk and chewy «pearls» at the bottom of the cup.

Bubble tea can be found nationwide, from mall food courts to the drink menus of high-end restaurants But its origins are in Taiwan. And while the drink is wildly popular, bubble tea — or boba tea as it is also frequently called — still remains a bit of a mystery.

So why the name bubble tea?

The drink has a number of monikers, including pearl milk tea and tapioca tea, but it’s most commonly referred to as bubble tea or milk tea. The term «bubble tea» is actually a reference to the milk froth that forms when the drink is shaken, not the chewy pearls in the drink that resemble bubbles, Quartz noted. The name «boba,» on the other hand, originates from a Taiwanese slang term for the pearls.

What exactly are the pearls made out of?

Not old tires and shoes, that’s for sure. These bubble-like pearls, the defining feature of the drink, are actually marble-sized balls of tapioca, the Daily Meal noted. (Tapioca is a starch that is extracted from cassava root that is naturally gluten-free and typically made into flour and edible pearls, the Huffington Post reported.)

The raw tapioca pearls, which are often black but can also be transparent or white, get cooked in boiling water until they become soft. They pearls are then kept in a simple syrup mixture so that they become sweet and remain chewy until they are ready for use, the Kitchn wrote.

The cooked pearls are then put in the bottom of a cup and then filled with various chilled drinks like fruity teas, icy smoothies or milk-based tea and coffee beverages as well as ice. The drink is then shaken to mix the ingredients and sealed.

What does it taste like?

The cooked pearls on their own are chewy but relatively flavorless. They become much sweeter after being soaked in simple syrup. But the real flavor comes from the drink itself — the pearls are more there for texture.

Bubble tea doesn’t always have the tapioca bubbles, however. Other add-ins, like grass jelly (which has an herbal taste), pudding (yep, that thick custard-like treat) and even aloe vera can make its way into the beverage, Spoon University noted.

Those looking for the classic drink experience, however, should start with the tapioca balls so that they can have their drink and chew it too.

Are the tapioca pearls healthy?

The chewy balls aren’t wildly high in calories: A 1.1-ounce serving of uncooked pearls contains 68 calories (drinks typically contain anywhere from 1 to 2 ounces of the tapioca pearls). But because the pearls are typically soaked in a sugar mixture, their calorie count increases. Plus, they’re rarely consumed without the addition of calorically dense bubble tea drink.

More concerning, some say the tapioca pearls contain cancer-causing substances. A 2012 study conducted by researchers in Germany found that the pearls may contain traces of a carcinogenic chemicals called as polychlorinated biphenyls, the Huffington Post noted. This issue has been debated, though: the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration refuted the claims and questioned the authenticity of study.

So who first put tapioca pearls in sweet liquid and called it a drink?

The delightfully chewy drink originates in Taiwan. In the 1980s a beverage visionary decided to put the pearls into a cup of sweetened iced tea, NPR reported. A number of tea companies claim they invented the beverage, but credit is frequently given to Liu Han Chie, the owner of Chun Shui Tang teahouse in Taichung, according to the Daily Meal.

The drink quickly became popular across Asia, Quartz reported. It took off in the United States in the late aughts, according to NPR in major cities, college campuses and places with large Asian populations. Now, boba is practically inescapable — not that that is a bad thing.

What Is Boba Tea and How Do I Make It?

Boba tea, aka bubble tea, is a unique blend of tea, milk, sugar and chewy tapioca pearls that is refreshing and satisfying. Born in Taiwan, the beverage has gone on to find fans around the world and now comes in hundreds of flavors and styles. Here’s everything you should know about what boba tea is, what it is made of and even how to make it yourself.

What Is Boba Tea?

Boba tea is made of tea, milk, water, sugar and tapioca pearls. Iced sweet milky tea is given a good cocktail-style shake, after which tapioca pearls are added. Typical versions use black, green or oolong tea, although recently more flavors and types have appeared. These range from mocha to fruit-flavored milks with pearls that can be black, white or fruity. Most boba tea is sweet and milky, and the milk can vary from whole milk to nonfat, coconut to almond. Others, such as the fruit-infused versions, might not even contain tea or milk.

However, it is those tapioca pearls that are boba tea’s defining characteristic. Nestled at the bottom of each glass, their chewy texture is what makes this unique beverage such a fan favorite. Made from cassava starch mixed with boiling water, the resulting dough is rolled and cut into balls and cooked again in either a brown sugar syrup to achieve the characteristic black color or a plain sugar syrup for white or other flavored pearls. This also gives the boba just a hint of sweetness.

Popping boba, on the other hand, are made either from agar-agar powder, a seaweed extract, or calcium compounds, fruit juice, water and a sweetener. These pearls burst with refreshing fruit juice when bitten and are a more recent addition that occurred with the advent of fruit-based boba teas.

Other additions can include grass, aloe or coffee jellies, taro or sweet potato balls, fresh fruit or red beans, among others.

Origins and History of Boba Tea

Sweet milky tea and tapioca pearls each have a long history in Taiwanese cuisine. The blend of tea and milk was perfected in 1949 when Chang Fan Shu, a former bartender, opened a tea shop. Using his mixology skills and a cocktail shaker, he created a perfect blend of tea and milk topped with a fine froth (the original bubbles in bubble tea) that customers loved.

Meanwhile, tapioca pearls were a popular dessert topping, especially on Taiwan’s fruit- and fresh crème-smothered shaved ice extravaganzas. Made from cassava, a South American plant that came to Taiwan during Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945, the chewy pearls were favored for their colorful contrast.

The two, however, didn’t meet until the 1980s. The exact origin story remains unclear, with some claiming Lin Hsiu Hui, product manager for Chun Shui Tang, a tea shop, tipped some pearls into her tea during a staff meeting, and others stating it was invented by Hanlin Tea Room. Regardless, once the combination was made, Taiwan’s favorite beverage was born.

Nutritional Value & Healthful Benefits

Made from cassava starch or a seaweed extract, the pearls are naturally gluten-free and vegan. Cassava is a good source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that can reduce inflammation and supports collagen production. It is also a source of fiber and vitamin B6, which helps with brain development and supports nervous system and immune system health.

While boba tea can be a high-calorie drink because of the milk and sugar, this can be balanced by switching to a fruit-based version or simply passing on the milk. A fruit base increases the vitamins, while a simple tea version also lets you enjoy the benefits of boba tea with less concern for calories. Many boba tea shops also allow customers to adjust the level of sweetness.

How to Make Boba Tea

Boba tea is simple to make, and with a bit of time, patience and practice you can tailor the recipe to your taste buds’ preferences.

Steep your favorite tea in boiling water for five minutes for maximum flavor. You can also cold-brew the tea, letting it sit for upward of 12 hours in the refrigerator for a slightly less bitter and less caffeinated base. Blend it with your preferred milk to taste and add the syrup-cooked boba for a picture-perfect homemade boba tea.

Boba tea pearls can be purchased pre-made or can be handmade by mixing cassava starch with boiling water to form a dough to roll out and cut into balls. The tapioca pearls start out white but turn black when cooked in a brown sugar syrup. Some people add black food coloring, but a hearty brown sugar syrup should also do the trick.

Boba tea kits are another option, especially nice for beginners learning the steps to creating a unique brew without any guesswork.

Where Can I Buy Boba Tea?

These days, boba tea can be found in almost any city and its suburbs anywhere in the world. In the U.S. alone, there are nearly 3,400 shops, with the market only expected to grow.

Boba tea kits or the ingredients—tea, fruit juice, sugar, cassava starch (or tapioca pearls) and milk—are available in shops or online. Popping boba can also be ordered online or made at home with items purchased at specialty shops or online.

Bottom Line

Boba tea is a refreshing beverage phenomenon full of sweetness and chewiness that comes in an endless variety of flavors and styles. Next time you head out for a coffee, try boba tea instead and see what delicious fun you can have. You might just discover your new favorite beverage.

What Is Bubble Tea (Boba Milk Tea) And Why Is It So Popular?

«Boba» itself refers to tapioca balls made from the cassava root. They are cooked in sugar and water until they reach a chewy consistency.

Origins

Boba tea was developed by Liu Han-Chieh and Lin Hsiu Hui in Taichung[source], Taiwan during the 1980’s. Lin Han-Chieh came up with the idea of milk tea after seeing how the Japanese added milk to their coffee. The new milk tea boosted the popularity of his teahouse immensely and Lin Hsiu Hui, who was product manager at the time, created the pearls by combining tapioca ball and sweetened pudding with the iced tea. Since then, the popularity of boba has spread from Southeast and East Asian countries to mainly the US and Canada.

Related: WHAT IS OOLONG TEA?

Why is it called «Boba?»

The first tapioca balls used were very small, roughly pea-sized, hence the name «pearl milk tea.» Later, a tea shop owner experimented with larger balls, and used » 波霸» to denote the difference. Literally translated, » 波霸» means «bubble big,» but it also happens to be a slang word to represent a woman with large breasts.

Why is it Popular?

1. Unique Taste

The sweet taste of the tea paired with the chewy tapioca balls make up the unique element that boba provides. Drinks like iced coffee or juice have the same constant texture, but with boba, the pearls offer a sort of “break” from the same boring consistency. There really is no other drink like it.

Shops generally have a wide range of flavors to choose from as well. This includes the exotic ones like taro, matcha, lychee, guava, passion fruit, and even avocado boba. What other drink provides this many foreign flavors?

2. Variety

Aside from pearls, boba shops offer a wide variety of toppings like j elly (of many flavors), chia seeds, creama/crema, aloe vera, and popping boba. And again, there are many different flavors to choose from. At Boba Guys’, a popular San Francisco boba chain, Strawberry Matcha is a bestseller. And at Happy Lemon, another popular boba chain, they have a whole series of salted cheese drinks. If you’re the math type, let’s say a shop has 30 flavors and 9 different toppings to choose from. You can have 300 different drinks (30 flavors * 10 toppings (9+1 option of no toppings)= 300). That’s enough to have a different drink everyday for almost a year! It’s perfect for adventurous people.

Read More: HOW TO ORDER FOOD IN CHINESE

3. Aesthetic

To be completely honest, a lot of people get boba simply for the aesthetic appeal (aka for Instagram). People even have instagram accounts dedicated to boba and it’s aesthetic (@bobaaddiction, @livinthebobalyfe, etc.). And why else would boba stores make drinks like”Light Bulb Boba” or “Cotton Candy Boba”? Drinks like “blue galaxy boba”, from Vivi Bubble Tea, also have color schemes perfect for pictures as well. And, boba shops like Boba Guys, Boba Bar, or Vivi Bubble Tea, have artsy wallpapers and backgrounds in stores that are great for instagram pictures too.

So, hop on the boba train today; You won’t be disappointed.

What is Boba and is it actually good for you?

Boba tea (also called bubble tea, pearl milk teak, or simply boba) is a cold tea drink typically involving black or green tea, sugar or syrup, ice, and tapioca pearls.

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you either love boba and want to learn more about it, or are curious what this new craze is. Well, it’s definitely not a new craze, and yes, there is a lot you don’t know about boba. Yet.

Just one of the many types of boba. Image credits: Gita Krishnamurti.

The Boba Boom

The word ‘boba’ itself can refer to many different things. It can be a rather loosely defined category of drinks, containing everything from milked ice tea with tapioca pearls to fresh juice with gummy bears. It can also refer to the pearls themselves.

Most often, it simply refers to some type of cold beverage with chewy, chunky bits inside.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when boba took hold as a drink, but it was at some point during the 1980s. Boba emerged from the vibrant Taiwanese street food culture, becoming almost universally popular in Taiwan and abroad. But its name was not without controversy.

Not everyone was thrilled about the name — and given that you now know its history, you may probably want to think twice before using it, although to most people, this has morphed into a stand-alone word devoid of external context.

There are endless varieties of bubble tea. Image credits: Frank Zhang.

Asian immigrants helped it stick on the US West coast for instance, but the East coast tends to prefer ‘bubble tea’. Tapioca pearl tea is sometimes a preferred name, particularly in areas less familiar with the drink.

Whatever you may call it, the drink has gained remarkable popularity. There are 21,000 boba shops in Taiwan, many more outside, and that’s not even counting cafes or other shops that also happen to sell it. The name and history of the drink may remain shrouded, but the drink took hold.

It’s become a popular, fashionable trend across the world, and it’s not hard to understand why.

What’s in boba

Since its inception, countless flavors and variations have emerged. Even foreign flavors such as hibiscus, cardamom, or rosewater have become something of a staple and can be commonly found. Outside of the classic black pearl tea, green tea, matcha, and taro are also common flavors. Funnily enough, the only thing that has remained unchanged has nothing to do with the drink itself — rather, it’s the famous fat straw used to suck the tapioca (or anything else) from the bottom of the cup.

The pearls themselves have a history. They are traditionally made from tapioca starch, which is surprising as tapioca is made from the South American plant cassava. Cassava came from Brazil to Taiwan via the Southeast Asian trade routes, during the Japanese rule that lasted from 1895 to 1945. Tapioca pearls are initially white, hard, and tasteless. But after they’re boiled, they become chewy.

Sometimes, the pearls are served ‘plain’ like this, but more often, they are steeped in brown sugar syrup until they become the black, addictive tapioca pearls many people love to slurp.

In some cases, tapioca pearls can be replaced by gummy bears or some kind of jelly — just like the traditional milked-black-tea has been replaced by different versions of a fruit juice or a smoothie. The ice can also be ground or mixed with ice cream, making a sort of boba slushie.

Milk teas include condensed milk, powdered milk, almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, 2% milk, skimmed milk, fresh milk, or even non-dairy creamer. But while the list of boba flavors can get really long, a select few usually make the popular options.

The types of boba

The oldest and still one of the most popular bubble tea recipes consists of a mixture of hot black tea, small tapioca pearls, condensed milk, and brown syrup (or honey).

It’s served cold, with ice, and sometimes, with extra sugar (watch out for that in the next part).

A common variation of the classic version, the green one. Typically featuring two classic Japanese flavors, matcha and green tea.

A recent hit in Taiwanese shops, this version features a milk-heavy boba, doused with decadent brown sugar syrup, swirling in a lovely gradient of brown and black.

Taro (a root vegetable) has a distinct flavor that goes excellently with coconut, which is why the two are often found in a version of boba tea. Taro puree acts both as a thickener and as flavoring which makes it one of the best boba slushies you can find.

A newer take on the bubble tea, the fruity version has become a popular alternative especially in Europe and the US. A lighter variety, it’s perfect for those hot summer days. If milk isn’t your thing, this is the perfect alternative.

However, if you love your boba and just want a fruity spin, you’ll probably be able to find versions to suit your taste.

As different shops try to stand out in the market, many choose to focus on the visual appeal. Whether it’s blue or violet or any range of colors you can imagine, someone sells bubble tea that looks like that.

The nutrition of boba

Unfortunately, while bubble tea is not the worst sugary drink out there, it’s still a sugary drink, and not particularly healthy for you. Since there is so much variability, there is no systematic and clear nutritional data when it comes to boba tea, but there is one published study about the nutritional effects of boba. According to the study, boba fits the definition for a sugary sweetened beverage (SSB), and consumption should be kept in check.

“A 16‐ounce boba drink exceeds the upper limit of added sugar intake recommended by the 2015 US recommendations,” the study reads. “Given that this popular beverage will only become more popular, recommendations from public health practitioners working in Asian communities should suggest moderate consumption of boba drinks, choosing options for less sugar, and not adding other ingredients such as pudding or jelly.”

Notably, however, the samples the researchers tested had less sugar than other drinks (including orange juice), but more calories overall. A ballpark calorie intake is around 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men). The tapioca pearls, interestingly, did not make a big difference calorie-wise.

Of course, these nutritional values can vary greatly depending on the type of tea, juice, milk, and especially sugar content. Doctors recommend opting for the no-sugar or less-sugar option, and keeping consumption moderate. Swapping the milk for alternatives can also help improve nutritional value, and simply changing some preferences (like not adding any extra sugar or swapping condensed milk for healthier options) can make a difference.

“The high caloric and sugar content of boba beverages pose public health concerns as they have the potential to further exacerbate the childhood obesity epidemic,” the study concludes.

Environmental concerns

Something that’s rarely considered about boba is its environmental impact. The drink itself is not that problematic, although milk can have a high carbon footprint — rather, the problem is plastic.

There’s usually a lot of plastic involved — note the thick straw. Image via Wiki Commons.

Bubble tea was traditionally enjoyed in plastic cups, with plastic lids, and plastic straws. This is still universally the case for takeaway, at least, and even most stay-in places still favor this setup. Very little of this plastic is actually recycled, and most of it ends up in landfills. More authentic bubble tea shops tend to serve tea using a machine that seals the top of the cup with plastic cellophane, and cellophane cannot be recycled.

Thankfully, both shops and consumers are starting to be a little more conscious about this, and at least at the stay-in places, there’s a chance you’ll get the tea in a glass container, which can easily be cleaned. However, the straw still remains a problem.

While plastic straws can normally be replaced with metallic or even paper straws (or forgone altogether), boba requires thick straws, so you can also slurp the pearls through it, and there are few alternatives.

Reusable glass bottles are good, but the straw is still a problem. Image credits: Rosalind Chang.

In recent times, however, alternatives to plastic straws have also emerged, especially as some countries issued bans on plastic straws. We as consumers should also be aware of our environmental impact and try to reduce it.

The coolest thing to do is to enjoy your boba sustainably.

How to make your own boba tea

The problem with bubble tea is that it’s expensive. As the joke goes, I took a week-long vacation in the Bahamas, and all I had to do was cut down on my boba consumption. You can still find it cheap in some parts of Asia, but it’s become somewhat of an expensive specialty drink.

So if you want to enjoy it more cheaply, enjoy a ton of it in your home, or just impress your friends, you can absolutely make your own boba, and it’s pretty easy.

You’d be surprised to see how easy it is to make boba that looks and tastes like the one you buy. Image credits: Gita Krishnamurti.

The simple version is to buy the tapioca pearls (and unless you really know what you’re doing, I’d recommend this).

You brew the tea (black tea in the classic version), add milk (or soy milk or whatever replacement) when the tea is done, bring it to boil, and then let it cool.

Different brands of tapioca pearls can require different preparation. Some may need to be boiled for up to an hour, but you can find quick, five minute ones too. Soaking them overnight can also help.

After the pearls become soft and chewy, you can either simmer them in brown sugar syrup, or simply add whatever syrup (like maple) on top of them, and then pour the tea over it. It’s as simple as that.

If you’d like to really make everything from scratch, be prepared for a bit more work — but it can also be more rewarding, especially as a group activity with friends. Here’s a video below showing an approach:

Lastly, don’t forget to experiment! There are no rules with boba and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You can experiment with different teas, syrups, milk, fruits, flavors, jelly… try it out and see what works.

What is Boba and Why is it So Popular?

So your best friend quickly blurted “let’s get some boba!” And you’re thinking to yourself, what on earth is boba? Is that a fictional character? Is it some food I never heard of? Where do you even get boba?
Well… let us explain!

Boba or bubble tea is a tea based drink that is typically consumed with friends for a quick fix to your sweet cravings. Boba first originated from Taiwan specifically in Tainan and Taichung in the 1980s. Although boba came from Asia it quickly became popular amongst English speaking countries. You can find boba in countries like the United States and other western regions.

Boba definition: “small, usually black, balls of tapioca used in beverages, which are generally consumed through a large straw.” — Your Dictionary

Nowadays more and more people enjoy boba or bubble tea around the world. We think it’s safe to bet that there is not one developed country that doesn’t have boba or bubble tea. Let us know if we’re wrong!

@onestepstraws

What Ingredients are in Bubble Tea?

Bubble tea can have many ingredients. And its flavors are ever expanding the more people (boba lovers) enjoy this delicious drink.

Typically bubble tea will have the following.

This is essentially all that you need for bubble tea, it’s not that complicated actually! When you begin to taste all the different flavors of bubble tea, that’s when things can get interesting.

Since the base or underlying flavors of bubble tea comes from the brewed tea used (usually black tea or green tea), you can explore many options just like your favorite coffee drinks. There’s almost no end to how many flavors of boba or bubble tea that can be made.

Some of the most popular flavors include thai milk tea, matcha milk tea, black milk tea or taro milk tea. All included with boba or bubbles of course. Try these flavors out first if you never tried bubble tea before. These flavors will be subtle enough and NOT overwhelming so that you have a great first impression on Taiwanese’ wonderful dessert drink.

In addition to milky tea flavors, teashops have been including fruity flavors as well. Some of the most popular fruit tea boba drinks include lychee, mango, honeydew and passion fruit to name a few.

Boba— Tapioca Pearls

If you’ve never tried boba before you might be wondering what are those black chewy looking bubbles on the bottom (or top) of my drink? Well that is what you call tapioca pearls or boba— hence bubble tea.
Don’t be afraid of these black bubbles, it’s not like they bite or anything. They’re chewy and delicious! It’s just tapioca spheres made from tapioca— a starch typically extracted from cassava root.

@isee_iclick_raj

You might be wondering, are boba pearls healthy? Tapioca pearls are mainly made up of starch, so the nutritional value from them is quite slim. It’s mainly carbohydrates that you’ll consume when eating boba or tapioca pearls.
So no, those little boba pearls do not add too much calories if at all into the bubble tea drinks. Boba pearls are mainly used for uniqueness and texture rather than nutritional value.

Some boba can be popping too! Popping boba is typically in your fruity boba drinks because they usually have a sweet tarty taste to them when they pop. Popping bubbles is made from flavorings and mainly seaweed extract. Seaweed extract is usually the outer shell of these popping boba pearls to enclose the deliciousness inside that you can’t seem to have enough of.

Now that you know something about boba pearls, are you still afraid of the bubbles in bubble tea?

Is Boba Healthy for You?

As long as you control your consumption in moderation… Hahaha but seriously we love bubble tea but that doesn’t mean we shy away from the fact that it has a lot of sugar. (At least in some boba flavors).

Your typical bubble tea will have somewhere between 20-60g of sugar. Depending on the flavor you choose, where you get it and how the tapioca pearls are made. The sugar content in one 8 ounce bubble tea can vary.
How does it compare to your best-known coffee brands though? You know, that green logo one…

In a typical drink from your best-known coffee brands like Starbucks, the average sugar content in their drinks are around 40g of sugar. Of course the sugar content can vary from size of the cup to the type of drink you order.

To be safe, always consume in moderation, life is about balance after all right?

@loccasocial

That’s it! Did we answer your question about what boba is? If not, be sure to comment or contact us. Talk about boba so that we can chime in on anything you’d like to know about these Taiwanese drinks. ‘Til next time!