If you’ve spent any time browsing the TikTok trends of Generation Z you’ll have seen the delightfully adorable beverage boba tea.
Affectionately called bubble tea it’s time to discover how you can improve the taste of your boba using our stunning range of Taiwanese teas!
What is Boba?
Boba or boba tea and bubble tea are often used interchangeably yet they are not quite the same thing.
Boba tea or bubble tea refers to the absolutely addictive Taiwanese beverage consisting of a blend of Taiwanese tea paired with milk or fruit or fruit juice.
Boba refers to the small round pearls you see at the bottom of these cute beverages which are formed using tapioca.
Due to the large diameter of these edible pearls you will find bubble tea served with an extra thick straw allowing you to indulge in the perfect ratio of boba to tea!
What Kinds of Bubble Tea Are There?
This is a question that we could answer with a full on recipe book! It’s easier to break down boba into different groups instead of trying to describe every single possible flavour combination in one blog!
Black Tea vs Green Tea
If you prefer your bubble tea to be creamy and dessert like then you’ll want to choose a black tea.
Black teas are brewed to be pretty strong and then milk is added to them for a gorgeous creamy flavour that drives everyone crazy on social media. The black tea recipes usually include the classic tapioca pearls!
Green tea on the other hand is for your fruit lovers! If you love to choose flavours like lychee mango or passionfruit then choose a green tea blend for your base.
Green tea based bubble tea is not served with milk but makes an insanely refreshing beverage even on the hottest Aussie days!
Sweeteners and Flavours
An absolute staple in the boba world is brown sugar milk tea. This is one of the classic Taiwanese flavours and it is quickly becoming popular across the world. Of course as the name suggests it is flavoured with brown sugar!
However your tea sweeteners can also be white sugar, honey or even cane syrup. Boba tea is seen as a dessert by Taiwanese people so expect it to be pretty sweet!
As for flavourings this is where you can really let your imagination run wild! Matcha, strawberry, melon, taro, lychee and more are all really popular flavours. Many tea shops use syrups for maximum amounts of flavour combinations but there are still quite a few that use real fruits and fruit juices.
Toppings
The common bubble tea image we all know and love is using the adorable tapioca pearls. However your toppings can also be a tough choice since many shops have an enormous amount of toppings to choose from like:
- Grass jelly
- Coconut jelly
- Passionfruit jelly
- Brown sugar pearls
- Red beans
- Popping boba
- Pudding
- Sago
If you can’t decide you could even choose a smaller quantity of a couple of flavours!
Can I Make Bubble Tea At Home?
Yes! The rising popularity of bubble tea has luckily made room for all the ingredients you need for great bubble tea to be available in most large supermarkets. You can also purchase ingredients like tapioca pearls online or a full bubble tea kit so you can make your favourite blends at home!
Taitung Black Oolong Bubble Tea
We’ve put together some really fun recipes for you to try at home using some of our favourite Taiwanese teas from our new collection!
Ingredients:
- Two teaspoons Taiwan Taitung Black Oolong Tea leaves
- 200ml boiling water
- 50g tapioca pearls
- Two tablespoons brown sugar syrup (plus extra for serving)
- 100ml whole milk (or your preferred milk alternative)
- Ice cubes
Instructions:
- First place the Taiwan Taitung Black Oolong Tea leaves in a teapot or infuser. Pour 200ml of boiling water over the leaves and let it steep for 3-5 minutes. Once brewed strain the tea and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Next in a small saucepan bring water to a boil and add the tapioca pearls. Cook them according to the package instructions (usually around 5-10 minutes) until they become soft and chewy. Drain the pearls and rinse them under cold water. Mix the cooked pearls with two tablespoons of brown sugar syrup ensuring they are well coated.
- In a tall glass add the tapioca pearls and a bit of the extra brown sugar syrup. Pour in the brewed Taiwan Taitung Black Oolong Tea followed by the milk. Stir gently to combine.
- Finally add ice cubes to the glass stir again, and enjoy your homemade Taiwan Taitung Black Oolong Bubble Tea!
Optional: You can adjust the sweetness by adding more brown sugar syrup to taste.
Taiwan Spring Baked Oolong Bubble Tea
Experience a refreshing twist on bubble tea with the delicate toasty notes of Taiwan Spring Baked Oolong Tea complemented by the sweetness of honey and the zing of fresh lemon.
Ingredients:
- Two teaspoons Taiwan Spring Baked Oolong Tea leaves
- 200ml boiling water
- 50g tapioca pearls
- Two tablespoons honey (plus extra for serving)
- One tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 100ml cold water
- Ice cubes
- Lemon slices (for garnish)
Instructions:
- First add the Taiwan Spring Baked Oolong Tea leaves to a teapot or infuser. Pour 200ml of boiling water over the leaves and let it steep for 4-6 minutes. Strain the tea and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- In a small pot bring water to a boil and add the tapioca pearls. Cook according to the package instructions until soft and chewy usually around 5-10 minutes. Drain the pearls and rinse them under cold water. Mix the pearls with two tablespoons of honey ensuring they are evenly coated.
- Then in a small bowl combine the lemon juice and one tablespoon of honey with 100ml of cold water. Stir until the honey is fully dissolved.
- In a tall glass add the honey coated tapioca pearls. Pour in the brewed Taiwan Spring Baked Oolong Tea and the lemon honey mix. Stir gently to combine.
- Finally add ice cubes to the glass and garnish with a slice of lemon. Stir and enjoy your Taiwan Spring Baked Oolong Honey Lemon Bubble Tea!
Optional: Adjust the sweetness by adding more honey if desired.
If you make any of our delicious Taiwan bubble tea recipes don’t forget to let us know! We love to see you enjoying our organic teas and making the recipes from our tea journal.
