The Taiwanese favorite, boba tea (or bubble tea), is available in many flavors and varieties. There are many options for bubble tea cafes, with many different menu options and lots of customization. You can make your bubble tea home or order it from a shop. This article will give you an overview of the various available flavors and textures.

What is bubble tea?

Bubble tea is also known as pearl tea, boba, and tapioca. It was invented in Taiwan in 1980. It is trendy in Taiwan, but it is also prevalent around the globe.

The basic bubble tea contains four components:

• Brewed tea
• Milk (or non-dairy) milk (sometimes skipped)
• Flavor and sweetness
• Tapioca pearls, or similar boba

Lastly, blend the mixture with ice and serve it with a sizable fat straw.

Different types of bubble tea

You can make bubble tea with many flavors, as many tea houses offer hundreds of varieties. 

• Milk Tea: A refreshing blend of brewed black tea and milk with (optional) tapioca pearls
• Thai tea: Strong black tea with sweetened condensed milk and studded with (optional tapioca pearls)
• Taro Bubble tea: Incorporates pureed taro, a purple root similar to sweet potatoes, and gives it a toasty sweet flavor
• Fruit Tea: You can make fresh fruit-based tea with your favorite boba, and it is usually caffeine-free

If you want to drink milk bubble tea in Bossier City, try to look for nearby bubble tea cafes with various options for you to choose from.

Different types of tea in bubble tea

The first thing you should consider when ordering bubble tea is what type of tea you want. You can make bubble teas with either black tea, green tea, or oolong.

• • Black tea (also known as red tea in China and Taiwan): This is the most popular type of bubble tea (including Earl Grey).
  • Green tea: Especially jasmine tea and green tea powders like matcha
  • Oolong tea: While traditional oolong tea is popular, many people prefer green oolong.
  • White tea: Although white tea is a popular choice in Western countries, it’s not often used in Taiwan for bubble tea.

New concoctions made without tea have also become increasingly popular. More recent variations include “Snow Ice” (a powdered coffee-based, frozen-and-blended drink), cream-based beverages, and fruit bubble tea.

Different types of milk in bubble tea

• Bubble tea is often made with milk or milk-like ingredients to create a creamy texture. You can use different types and flavors of dairy or dairy-like ingredients.
  • Non-dairy creamer (the most widely used “milk”)
  • Fresh milk
  • Sweetened condensed milk
  • Coconut milk
  • Soy milk (freshly prepared or pre-made)
  • Milk without lactose
  • Calpis and other yogurt-like drinks
• Because of the acidity in the fruit syrup, you cannot make some tart-flavored bubble teas with milk.

Bubble tea flavors

All the ingredients make up the base for bubble tea (tea and milk), but the natural flavor comes from flavoring agents such as syrup or powder. Bubble tea shops stock a wide range of syrups and powders, just as they do in coffee shops to flavor their lattes.

Flavored simple sugars are a more popular flavoring choice because you can easily mix them into cold milk tea.

Types of bubbles

The word “bubble” originally referred to the bubbles that formed when you stirred the tea and milk mixtures. It is now used to describe the “pearls,” “boba,” or other ingredients in similar drinks. These drinks are often called QQ in China and Taiwan.

QQ is a chewy texture loved in Chinese and Taiwanese dishes. QQ foods don’t need to be delicious to be popular. They often aren’t. These are the most popular types of bubbles that have QQ qualities.

• • Tapioca Pearls: These are small, round globules made of boiled tapioca starch. They have a chewy texture that almost resembles gum and practically no flavor. They are usually purplish-black but can also come in white or pastel. These are the most well-known boba, often referred to simply as boba. They can be large or small.
  • Jelly: Grass jelly is made of Chinese mesona. The chewy cubes are mildly sweetened with herbs and have a light, herbal taste. Similar to aloe jelly but made from the Aloe plant. Sometimes, other jelly flavors, such as coconut, are also available.
  • Taro balls: These sweet, purple-colored balls are made from taro plants.
  • Sweet Potato Balls: Chewy balls made using orange sweet potato
  • Tapioca noodles These are usually made of white tapioca. You can steam them with a wide-mouthed bubble tea straw to create thin, noodle-like strands.
  • Pudding Rich, creamy custard puddings you can add to your drink for a decadent treat. You can find pudding in many different flavors, like coffee or taro.
  • Popping Boba: This is a twist on traditional tapioca pearls. It “pops” in your mouth to give you a burst of flavor. They come in many flavors.

Other additions

Some other popular toppings and mix-ins are:

• • • Fresh Fruit: Diced fruit is a popular choice for bubble tea, particularly fruit teas
    • Red Bean: Sweet and creamy red beans
    • Cookie Crumbs: Crumbled Oreos and similar cookies
    • Ice cream: Some shops sell ice cream as a topping or mix-in for bubble tea
    • Cheese Cream: Sweet, salty, and savory cheese cream made from cheese powder