It doesn’t matter if you’re a milk tea lover or not. With the huge fan base it has managed to create in the past years, you must have heard about boba tea (also known as bubble tea or pearl milk tea). It’s a sweet concoction that originated from Taiwan, and thanks to food and beverage franchise opportunities all over the world, it has become an international favorite.
Boba tea has four traditional ingredients: brewed black tea, milk, sweetener, and tapioca pearls or boba, which is the reason behind the moniker. But aside from these basic elements, other ingredients like syrups, pudding, and fresh fruit bits are often added to the drink, creating a range of new flavors.
If you want to discover what the boba tea craze is all about or you’re simply looking for a new flavor to try, here are six best-selling bubble tea flavors.
Classic Black Tea
If it’s your first time to try boba tea, you can’t go wrong with the classic milk tea. For this blend, black tea is typically mixed with crushed ice, foamy milk, granulated sugar, and plenty of chewy tapioca pearls. If you want a little adventure, you can try it with other kinds of tea and milk.
Brown Sugar
This blend gives the classic milk tea an added sweetness with the use of brown sugar caramel instead of ordinary white sugar. Other variations skip the tea and go heavy on the milk. Brown sugar milk tea is very easy to make that there are various recipes available online, including tips on how to cook the tapioca pearls.
Thai
Thai milk tea might be considered as the bolder, more flavorful version of the classic boba tea. It has a creamy texture and deep flavor from different spices, such as cinnamon, tamarind powder, and almond extract, which all contribute to its luxurious taste. Its distinct orange color is also associated with Ceylon tea, a special type of tea and a popular base for most iced tea mixtures.
Taro
Taro bubble tea is one of the top flavors because of its unique taste and creamy texture, not to mention its eye-catching color. This blend is thicker than other mixtures because of the pureed or powdered taro, which has a nutty flavor.
Mango
For those with a penchant for tropical fruity flavors, mango boba tea will be an instant favorite. Some prefer this as a slushie, which has a thicker consistency from the shaved ice. Black or jasmine tea and coconut milk are best used for this blend for that cool summery taste on your palate.
Matcha
Matcha boba tea is an all-time classic blend. It’s typically made by mixing matcha powder with almond milk and honey as a natural sweetener. The chewy boba pearls and its distinct green color make it a very inviting milk tea flavor.
You can get all these flavors from boba tea stations everywhere. Some places also offer different levels of sweetness if you don’t want yours super sweet. If you want to experiment and try your own personal blend, a lot of easy recipes are available online to help you make your very own boba tea creation.
