Milk bubble tea is a trending drink right now and if you want to try it but are unsure of what to pick from the different types of flavors available, this guide is for you. If you are already a bubble tea drinker, you may also get an idea of what other flavors to try on your next visit to the bubble tea shop.
Bubble tea, boba tea, tapioca tea, pearl milk tea, whatever you call it, this beverage is just delicious and refreshing. It’s unique because of the bubbles or balls at the bottom of the drink that give it a chewy texture.
The different types of bubble teas have become well known and in demand, so much so that bubble tea shops also introduced dozens of flavors to choose from.
While there are many bubble tea types, we have rounded up eight of the most popular flavors that you can try.
8 Popular Types of Bubble Tea Flavors
Brown Sugar Milk Tea
Also known as tiger milk tea, brown sugar boba tea is a classic flavor that was popularized by Tiger Sugar, a Taiwan-based company. The unique tiger stripes that are clearly visible on the transparent glass became very popular that it is very common to see pictures of people drinking the tiger milk tea on Instagram and other social media.
From Taiwan, the brown sugar milk tea has conquered the world so that many people in New York, Los Angeles, and other cities in the United States know what this drink is.
As the ingredients of this bubble tea flavor mainly include sugar as flavoring, you can expect that this drink has a deep, toffee, or caramel-like flavor.
Taro Milk Tea
Taro is a versatile root crop that is used in a variety of sweet and savory dishes. It’s difficult to describe its flavor but it is similar to a sweet potato or cassava root with a hint of earthiness and nuttiness. Some people describe the taste of taro to be more like cookies and cream, while others say that its flavor is comparable to a vanilla latte. You should taste taro boba tea yourself to describe the taste.
If you have seen a purple bubble tea before, it is more likely a taro bubble tea. But taro in its raw state isn’t really purple. Taro powder which is commonly used by tea shops to prepare taro boba tea usually comes with coloring to make the beverage more appetizing.
The good news is that taro is one of the bubble tea flavors that are available in powder form. You can easily prepare your own drink by dissolving the powder in water. Then you can add milk, sugar, tapioca pearls, and ice.
Mango Milk Tea
If you want a fruit bubble tea with a tropical flair, the mango bubble tea flavor is perfect for you. Most boba tea shops use powder mixes when preparing mango milk tea but that’s not the healthiest option. If you have access to the fresh fruit, you can easily prepare this bubble tea by using the fruit’s extract or puree plus some water, cream, sugar, ice, and tapioca pearls.
A glass of this refreshing bubble tea beverage will make your hot summer day more bearable.
Drinking this bubble tea offers numerous health benefits as this fruit contains a good amount of vitamin C which strengthens your bones, teeth, and immune system in general.
Honeydew Milk Tea
Another amazingly refreshing beverage is the honeydew bubble tea. If you want your tea to be fairly mild in taste, this drink is probably one of the milk teas worth trying.
Honeydew fruit tastes like a combination of sweet honey and melon flavor, although the sweetness is just mild. If you use this fruit as a flavoring to your milk tea, due to its mild flavor, it will bring out the tea component of the drink.
Honeydew melon is also a good source of vitamin C and other vital nutrients including folate and vitamin B6. If you can find a bubble tea shop that makes honeydew boba tea recipes from fresh fruits, go for it!
Matcha Milk Tea
This vibrant Chinese green tea is also one of the most popular boba flavors. It’s an all-time classic favorite among bubble tea drinkers. To make a delicious matcha green tea, you can use any of those powder mixes that you can buy online, or alternatively, prepare your tea using one of those in tea bags and mix it with almond milk and honey plus boba pearls, of course.
Matcha green tea is one of those delicious and very nutritious beverages. It contains protein, amino acids, lipids, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus among others. Moreover, this green tea is also a rich source of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which many believe to have cancer-fighting effects.
Thai Milk Tea
Thai Tea is so popular that it has become one of the bubble tea flavors that are widely available in powder form. Most Thai tea powder mixes already come with creamer and sweetener so all you have to do is blend the powder with water, add tapioca pearls and ice, then serve! That’s how easy it is to prepare this boba tea at home.
Thai bubble tea has that invigorating orange color that comes from the color of its tea base which is Ceylon tea. This boba tea deserves some recognition not just for its sweet and creamy taste but also for its health content.
Strawberry Milk Tea
For most tea milk drinkers, this is one of the fruit flavors that bring back childhood memories. Strawberry is slightly tangy and if you add some milk and sugar, that’s a perfect combination for a zesty and fruity beverage. Now, with more tapioca pearls, that is really a beverage worth trying!
While fresh strawberries are the best way to go, but if not available and you wish to prepare this drink at home, you can also use powdered mixes and tapioca balls. To prepare this boba tea, all you have to do is add water to the powder, mix well before adding the tapioca pearls, and ice. It’s best shared with family and friends.
Jasmine Milk Tea
Jasmine milk tea reminds you of how jasmine flowers smell. In terms of flavor, it is creamy with a subtle sweetness. This milk tea is a perfect choice for those who prefer a milk tea with a stronger tea flavor.
Due to the popularity of this boba tea drink flavor around the world, it has become widely available in many boba tea shops. You can also easily find jasmine green tea mixes which is an excellent choice if you love preparing this tea at home.
Bubble Tea FAQs
There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to kids drinking bubble tea. However, don’t be so fast in offering your kids this drink because it’s important to consider that most of these drinks use a tea base (such as oolong tea and black tea) that contains caffeine which is not good for kids. The boba that’s used to make the “bubbles” can also be a choking hazard for small kids.
If you want your kids to taste bubble tea, it’s a good idea to prepare one at home so you can customize what you’ll put on it. Perhaps you can skip on the tapioca pearls if you have small kids. You may also carefully select your tea base to avoid caffeine. And lastly, use fresh fruit as much as possible.
It can be tempting to taste the different bubble tea types every day. But don’t obey your cravings every time as drinking bubble tea every day is not good for your health. It’s important to remember that these drinks are loaded with sugar which can cause your weight to bubble as well.
Conclusion
There are different types of boba milk tea flavors that tea lovers can try, and they are all delicious, satisfying, and refreshing drinks. While it’s very convenient to order those drinks from the bubble tea shops, preparing your own beverage at home allows you to prepare a healthier version of the drink using fresh fruits and with less sugar.