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Regarding eye candy and innovation, bubble tea is the king of the boba popup. There are endless ways to go about your drink creation, but this one will help you decide between the two terms.
The short answer, “Is there a difference between boba and bubble tea?” is no. With the growing popularity of bubble tea, people refer to it by other terms such as boba, pearl milk tea, pearl tea, tapioca tea, and milk tea. They are all referring to the drink itself.
However, did you know that there are differences between Bubble Tea and Boba regarding technicalities?
What is Bubble Tea
Bubble tea is a wide range of sweet and refreshing flavoured drinks served with chewy tapioca pearls. They typically include fruit flavours (like honeydew, mango, peach, plum, strawberry, and lychee) and vegetables.
The drink, originating from Taiwan, involves blending different components such as fruit juices and adding “the signature bubbles” (the tapioca pearls in the drink) over it. Bubble tea is usually a drink made with large tapioca balls and bubbles created as you vigorously shake the drink to blend all the ingredients.
Tea boba drinks are often served in transparent cups with fat boba straws, so you can also drink the pearls as you sip your tea.
Tea base
Bubble tea or pearl milk tea, or boba milk tea, whatever you call it, relies on a nice blend of flavours. Green tea, black tea or oolong tea are most commonly used for this type of drink. Bubble tea shops and cafes have most commonly offered black and green teas, especially matcha and jasmine tea.
Bubble Tea Components
It is a lot more convenient and cheaper for many people, including myself, to prepare your boba tea at home rather than patronising the traditional bubble tea shops that still use those old-fashioned ingredients.
Flavours
Unlike other trendy boba tea flavours, fruit flavours require no baking or fancy preparations. The flavour can either be used or mixed with tea to create different combinations. Bubble tea is a unique drink experience, and its costs are decreasing. If you want to get a healthy version, you can use fresh fruits or fruit purees.
Sweetener
If you want to drink bubble tea without worrying about the sugar content, many shops add sweeteners that allow for a healthier decision. Some common sweeteners include brown sugar and sugar syrup. They are not necessarily sugar-free as some shops use stevia or aspartame.
Milk or Cream
For boba tea, milk and cream are two essential components. Milk gives the drink that creamy texture, and in this case, you can use either whole milk, half-n-half, or a powder creamer. You have other options for those who can’t tolerate lactose, such as almond milk or soy milk.
Cold or warm water
There are no hard and fast rules for the type of liquid you will use in your bubble tea, but generally, if you want to add powdered flavouring, you will dissolve the powder first using warm or hot water. If you want to make a puree made from fresh fruit pieces or some other type of fruit puree, then cold water will do.
Tapioca Balls
Bubble tea contains tapioca pearls, which are also called tapioca balls. They give the drink a chewy texture that is best enjoyed when eaten warm, not cold. Natural tapioca pearls and balls are difficult to cook because they tend to become gooey. There are tapioca balls on the market, and you have to bake them in the oven before using them.
What is Boba?
Bubble tea is a Taiwanese drink. Boba is the small, white balls added to bubble tea as an ingredient.
Bubble tea has many unique flavours, textures and ingredients. A texture that many bubble tea offerings share is the chewiness of the boba balls. The traditional black boba and bubble tea drinks in Taiwan come with black boba. Still, over the years, there have been many different variations of this drink, including different colours of boba such as red, green, and brown.
When buying tapioca pearls for pearl milk tea, you have a lot of factors to consider. The type of tapioca itself affects the chewiness, so you might decide that softer pearls are more appealing. The directions on the label help achieve optimal results.
What Do Boba and Bubble Tea Taste Like?
Some people add boba pearls to their drink, but often they aren’t as enjoyable without flavouring. If you add the pearls to an iced taro milk tea, they will also taste like taro!
With the different flavours of bubble tea, you can expect your drink to be creamy, milky, and sweet. These are some of the essential ingredients that are involved. If you like your drink with a little more milk or less, you can tailor the taste just how you like it. You can also customise the blending process for your ice at home and what to use as an infused liquid if you prefer.
Where Can You Buy Bubble Tea?
There are many shops and restaurants in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other Southeast Asian countries where you can order bubble tea. Many tea shops and even diners club restaurants offer various bubble tea flavours in the US, particularly in major cities from the west coast to the east coast like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
If you’re looking for a way to save money on a boba drink, you can also make it at home. The ingredients are readily available online and in the supermarkets, so most people have no problem getting instant oolong tea.
Conclusion
Social media is trending with bubble tea posts nowadays. The components we have listed above can be used to make these delicious and refreshing beverages at home or from your local tea shop.
FAQs
What is the most popular boba flavour?
There are many different types of boba, but the most popular flavour is taro. Taro was introduced to the United States by Asians who immigrated in the 1970s and 1980s.
Taro has a unique taste that is often nutty or earthy, with a slightly sweet aftertaste. It has a sticky texture that can be chewy or soft and moist, depending on how long it has been steeped in hot water before being served.
Is bubble tea cancerous?
Bubble tea is a popular drink that has been around for a while. It is also considered one of the healthiest drinks in the world with its low-calorie count, no sugar, and antioxidants.
However, some people are concerned about whether bubble tea is cancerous. They worry that it might contain too much sugar or lead to cancer because of the chemicals they put in it.
