You’ve heard of boba tea, you’ve seen it online, and you have probably even walked or driven by a number of tea shops with brightly colored drinks with little balls on the bottom of the cup in the window. But if you are curious about what is boba tea, what is boba tea made of, and recipes to make boba tea yourself then you’ve found the right post!
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What Is Boba Tea Anyways?
Boba tea is also known as bubble tea or pearl milk tea and is a Taiwanese drink that typically combines milk (or milk powder) and black or green tea with flavored syrups or fruit. The drink can be served hot or cold and is filled with chewy tapioca balls called boba.
Boba tea was created in Asia in the 1980’s and came to America in the 1990’s. But Boba tea really became popular in the United States in the early 2000s.
“Boba” is actually the tapioca balls in the drink. But people use the term boba to refer to the tea drink itself as well.
What are Tapioca Pearls?
The little pearls that make your drink a boba tea are made from tapioca or cassava starch and rolled into small dough-like balls, boiled up, and sweetened for flavor and color with syrups.
The tapioca pearls are most often added to a tea and milk mixture to create your typical boba tea but can be made with plain green tea or black tea or even coffee or smoothies. Get your own tapioca pearls here.
Is Boba Tea Good For You?
Some people believe that boba tea is a healthy drink, as it is low in calories and contains antioxidants. However, others believe that the added sugar in most boba teas can cause health problems like weight gain and increased risk of diabetes.
Ultimately, whether or not boba tea is good for you depends on the ingredients and preparation methods of each tea you order or make at home.
If you are interested in trying boba tea for yourself, it’s best to do some research on the health benefits and risks associated with this popular beverage.
If you are trying to have a healthy version of boba tea try to avoid too much sugar or syrup and opt for a boba tea sweetened with fruit, stevia, or monk fruit instead of added sugars and syrups for a healthy boba tea.
What are the health benefits of green and black tea?
Boba tea is typically made from healthy green or black tea. It’s the added ingredients that can make a boba tea as unhealthy as a dessert or conversely make it a tasty and healthy treat.
Much like the difference between a nutrient-dense smoothie you made at home with protein powder, healthy fats, fruits, and veggies vs. the sugar-loaded ones you will find in most smoothie shops.
When made correctly boba tea can be a tasty and extremely healthy drink.
Health benefits of green tea
Many boba teas are made with green tea, which has a lot of health benefits including:
- improved mental focus and memory
- reduced risk of cancer and heart disease
- increased metabolism
- weight loss
Green tea is high in antioxidants, great for your metabolism, and overall a pretty healthy drink. Organic green tea is substantially more healthy as the leaves don’t contain pesticides. But overall any green tea is a great healthy drink to add to your diet.
Healthy benefits of black tea.
Did you know black tea and green tea actually come from the exact same plant?
Actually, white tea does too. They simply pick the leaves at different stages of growth for the different colored teas!
So that being said:
like green tea, black tea contains high levels of antioxidants and other beneficial compounds. In addition, some studies have found that drinking black tea may:
- help improve heart health
- promote better digestion
- boost oral health
- lower blood pressure
There are many ways to enjoy the healthy benefits of black tea, from traditional steeped tea to iced tea, to boba tea!
Just remember black tea does contain caffeine. So take that into account when you decide at what times you choose to drink it and how much to drink.
Where can you get boba tea aka bubble tea?
You can find boba tea at many cafes, restaurants, and tea shops. You can also purchase pre-made boba teas online on Amazon or in grocery stores that sell Asian foods and beverages.
If you are feeling adventurous, you can even try making your own boba tea at home! (Recipes coming up next!)
Whether you prefer a classic black or green tea with boba, or something more adventurous like mango or lychee flavored teas, there are plenty of delicious options to choose from.
So what are you waiting for? Give boba tea a try today! Here are 5 delicious DIY boba tea recipes.
Before you start making boba tea at home you will want to pick up your ingredients for your boba tea. Unless you plan on trying your hand at making tapioca pearls, which sounds a bit tough. Although they are supposed to be remarkably better when they are fresh.
You can get your boba tea supplies at Asian food markets or online from Amazon.
- Get some authentic bubble tea
- Green tea or Black tea
- Tapioca pearls
- Boba tea syrup
- Or a complete boba tea kit
Then try making these boba tea recipes at home!
- Easy bubble tea recipe
- Strawberry boba tea recipe
- Green boba tea recipe
- Mango boba tea recipe
- Strawberry mango boba smoothie recipe
Wrapping up what is Boba Tea
So now you know all about boba or bubble tea! Are you eager to try it?
Run out to your local tea shop and buy a cup or try your hands at making it at home!
Either way, get ready for a fun taste explosion and an exciting new texture!
