Join one of the biggest, chewiest, widest-strawed portable beverage trends of the last decade.
What Is Boba Tea?
Boba tea is made of tea, milk, water, sugar and tapioca pearls.
Photo: Getty Images / ugurv
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.
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.
This also gives the boba just a hint of sweetness.
The two, however, didn’t meet until the 1980s.
Regardless, once the combination was made, Taiwan’s favorite beverage was born.
The term “boba” has a clear history, though.
Steep your favorite tea in boiling water for 5 minutes for maximum flavor.
Then, boba tea pearls are added for a picture-perfect homemade boba tea.
Boba tea pearls can be purchased premade online.
The tapioca pearls start out white but turn black when cooked in 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.
Some people enjoy purchasing them from Costco,Sam’s CluborTrader Joe’s.
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 more than 5,500 shops, with the market only expected to grow.
Popping boba can also be ordered online or made at home with items purchased at specialty shops or online.
What Goes Well with Boba Tea?
Some like to add sweets with sweets: muffins or cake.
Others suggest dumplings, sandwiches, noodles orsushi.
And if you haven’t tried boba tea, you might just discover your new favorite beverage.
