It’s time to get your boba on! Boba tea is like a bubble bath for your tastebuds.
It’s time to get your boba on! Boba tea is like a bubble bath for your tastebuds. The bubbles carry a distinctive texture often called QQ in its homeland of Taiwan, which means that it is irresistibly chewy. Here’s a look at several different varieties of it.
Classic
The classic bubble tea is iconic and is what you probably associate with the term itself. Milk, crushed ice, tapioca pearls, and black tea are shaken together to create a wonderful concoction that will leave you craving more even after one cup. Treat yourself to one! You can also experiment with different flavors of milk and tea, but for beginners, start here.
Brown Sugar
Another variety has brown sugar in it. This drink is milk tea with a twist – a blast of brown sugar syrup. It’s also beautiful – marked by cocoa brown and pearly white colors.
Taro
Taro presents a unique flavor. It hails from Taiwan but has since spread throughout Asia and is popular in the West as well. Pureed taro is added, which also gives it an eye-catching color.
Fruit
Believe it or not, bubble tea can be loaded with fruit. Some flavors include passion fruit, watermelon, lychee, lemon, winter melon, mango, and yes, even tomato!
Full Topping
There are many other types of toppings besides good old tapioca balls. Barley, jujube, grass jelly, aloe vera, egg pudding, adzuki bean, and cookies have all been added to the mix. They are more or less known as full-topping versions of the standard milk tea and present an alternative flavor and texture if you don’t care for the taste of tapioca.
Pretty
The rise of Instagram has led to a picture culture where pretty looking pictures get plenty of reactions. Spiciness and charcoal are taking bubble tea above and beyond, and honey and agave nectar are being substituted in for plain old sugar.
Cheese
Cheese tea may sound unappealing, but bear with us! It originated from a night market stand that wanted to try something unusual. Powdered cheese, salt, whipped cream, and milk are combined to make something savory and magical and way out there compared to its massively sweeter cousins. It has spread out all over Asia, and has even begun making inroads here in the States!
Get All Your Asian Groceries at Lotte Plaza Market
Lotte Plaza Market is your one-stop-shop for all of your Korean and Asian grocery needs. With more than 10 locations in Maryland and Virginia, this growing market is always expanding and opening new markets to serve our customers better. Since we opened in 1976, our goal has always been to provide the best customer service and groceries to our customers. For answers to all of your questions, please email us at LottePlaza.com.