While many of you boba-drinkers may have a general idea of what bubble tea is – flavored milk tea with tapioca pearls – let’s really break down the concoction of bubble tea to truly understand the art that is boba.

Bubble tea can be broken down into four main parts/ingredients (Adams):

1) The flavor – flavored powder, flavored syrup, fruit purees or fresh fruit
2) The creamer – powder creamer, half-n-half, full milk, or other creamer
3) The sweetener – sugar, simple sugar syrup, fructose, or honey
4) The liquid – water, tea, or milk

Bubble tea wasn’t as simple of a drink as you thought, huh?

For bubble tea cafes, manufacturers, or connoisseurs, the art of boba culminates in the components of a bubble tea drink to be in perfect balance…to create the perfect bubble tea drink experience. The perfect drink not only needs the proper mixture of ingredients, but the tapioca pearls themselves, the essence of boba, must have the right texture and taste. The perfect texture meaning, not too soft and not too hard. The perfect chewiness is similar to a fresh gummy bear. In addition, the drink should be smooth and tasty. The “cool” bubble tea drinks should have a good taste and a refreshing feeling. The “warm” bubble tea drinks should be at the right temperature to warm one's inside. Whatever way the boba is mixed, it should definitely not be watery. There should be a clear and distinct flavor with every drink enjoyed with pearls or “boba” to chew down with the drink (Wan).

Let’s continue on by further unpacking and examining the components that make up a perfect boba drink.

References

Adams, Wanda A. “Bubble teas a fun food to play with.” 02 Jan 2002. The Honolulu Advertiser. 10 Mar 2006. <http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Jan/02/il/il15a.html>.

Wan, Tiffany. “Bubble Tea: it’s cool, fun & good.” 17 Aug 2002. Northwest Asian. 10 Mar 2006. <http://www.nwasianweekly.com/editorial/bubble.htm>.

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