Boba Tea: A Must Have Drink

Jun 2

Jun 2 Boba Tea: A Must Have Drink

Akhil Pidikiti

What Is It?

Boba tea has been quickly increasing in popularity among teens and adults alike all around the world. This drink, otherwise known as bubble tea, features chewy, sweet, black-colored tapioca pearls mixed with a tea base. This drink is often mixed with sweeteners, milk, and syrup. There are endless variations of flavors that can be combined and made. Some popular ones include taro, strawberry, lavender, and even just plain black tea. The sweetness level of your boba drink can also be varied to no added sweetness to 100% sweetness.

History of the Drink

Boba tea began circulating in the late 1980s, however the exact origin of the drink is speculated to be somewhere in Taiwan. Milk tea was already a popular drink in Taiwan during the summer time, since the practice of drinking tea was a widely known practice in East Asia. Shaved Ice and tapioca pearls were already considered to be delicious desserts during the time as well. The most popular origin story behind boba tea is traced back to the 1980s in Taichung, Taiwan. Ms. Lin Hsi Hui, a worker at a local shop, took the tapioca pearls out of her dessert and added it to her iced tea. While initially rejected by her boss, her coworkers quickly took a liking to this new dessert, and forced the boss to add this dessert to the shop menu. Soon, this menu item became the shop’s most frequently ordered drink. As time went on, the variations of the different ingredients within boba tea started evolving. Stall owners started introducing fruit boba, using fruit powders and syrups instead of real fruit (because real fruit went bad really quickly and wasn’t always sweet). Toppings went beyond just using tapioca pearls, such as using grass jelly, almond jelly, egg pudding, and red beans.

What Are Tapioca Pearls?

The original boba milk tea is served with tapioca pearls, which are usually made with starch. These starch balls are then combined with brown sugar syrup and water. These starchy pearls are chewy, with a sweet sugary taste (as a result of being boiled in brown sugar before being added to the drink). Their consistency and texture is that of a mix between gummy bears and jello. Most tapioca pearls are black, but flavored pearls are known to vary in color depending on the flavor. The boba pearls themselves are generally found at the bottom of the drink. The tea base that surrounds the pearls was first made with just milk, sugar, water, and tea.

Variations of the Drink

There are many tea flavors that are sold, but here are some popular ones.

Black Tea

The original bubble tea flavor is black tea, milk, brown sugar and tapioca pearls. This drink may not be as visually appealing as other flavors, but it certainly tastes just as good. The sweetness of the tapioca pearls and the brown sugar syrup mixed with the slight tartness of the black tea creates an unbeatable combination

Thai Tea

This drink is perfect if you have a sweet tooth. Sweetened condensed milk and the orange color provide an intense sweet flavor that all boba lovers are sure to enjoy

Taro Tea

This drink is made using taro, a potato-like plant native to Southeast Asia. With a flavor similar to vanilla, this rich and creamy drink has a beautiful purple flavor that is sure to leave anyone satisfied.

Mango

Mango milk tea provides a tropical flavor that’s perfect for those trying boba for the first time. This refreshing flavor will give you that nice cool down that will get you through a hot summer day.

Strawberry

Strawberry is another flavor that is recommended for boba beginners. This delicious fruit-based drink is similar to a strawberry smoothie with an added touch of sweetness from the tapioca pearls.

There are also a variety of boba pearls that customers can often choose from. The most popular among them is the popping boba pearls. These special tapioca pearls will pop once bitten into, giving your drink an extra burst of flavor. These pearls can come in a wide range of flavors such as strawberry, mango, and peach.

Boba Tea Places to Try

Unfortunately, there aren’t any boba tea places located within Sussex, however, there are a few places available within 30 minutes if you’re willing to make the trip (which you really should).