Most Common Questions About Bubble Tea

You asked… We answered. Bubble tea can be a little hard to understand, so we broke it down for you. Think we might’ve missed something? Hit us up! We got ‘chu!

What is bubble tea? Is it boba tea or bubble tea?

Bubble tea is a Taiwanese-based tea drink made with tapioca pearls. The chewy pearls that are seen at the bottom of the cup in addition to the tea are, of course, the key ingredients of the faved drink. Essentially, boba tea and bubble tea are the same thing, and used almost interchangeably in various parts of the world. According to BubbleTeaology.com, “bubbles” actually refers to the “bubbles” (or 泡泡) that are made by shaking tea, not the tapioca pearls on the bottom of the cup. However, for most people, bubble tea refers to the tapioca pearls that we chew.

Where and when is bubble tea originated from?

Bubble tea originated from Taiwan in the 1980s.

We heard bubble tea is not healthy. Is it?

While claims show tapioca pearls may contain traces of acetophenone and styrene, a study from the University of California, Berkeley proved otherwise saying “compounds in the tapioca are actually chemicals used in food flavorings and are approved for use by the FDA”. While this does not mean that they are necessarily toxic or pose a serious health threat, the real concern is the starchy tapioca pearls, which consumes high amounts of carbohydrates, and increasingly high amounts of sugar and sweetened creamers consumed. Any abundance of sugary consumption can lead to an unhealthy diet. As doctors say, consume everything in moderation. For any health concerns or questions, we highly recommend seeing a healthcare professional or practitioner.

Are the tapioca pearls gluten free?

Short answer, yes. Tapioca is a starch extracted from cassava root, a tuber native to South America. It is an alternative, gluten free starch to wheat and other grains. Learn more about tapioca on Healthline.

How do you make bubble tea?

Bubble tea can be made in various ways. If you’re craving a milk tea, a milk or creamer can be mixed in as an ingredient. If you’re in for a fruit tea, then that’s not needed. Depending on what you’re in the mood for, it should be easy as 1, 2, 3!

First things first, pick out your type of tea. A common tea to use is a black or green tea. Your preference can vary as there are a variety of black and green teas, but any tea base works. Steep your loose tea leaves in an infuser, or if you have teabags — either way works just as fine.

Next, is the tapioca pearls! If you are making from scratch, it can be a little tedious. So check out the steps here for a full tutorial. If you are buying, pre-made tapioca, boil it accordingly and don’t forget to let it cool down.

Last but not least, this comes to preference. But depending on sugar level, iced, milk tea or fruit tea. You can customize your tea to your liking. We prefer quality-taste and love brown sugar in our teas along with a nice almond or oat milk!

How do you make tapioca pearls for bubble tea?

Full recipe here!

What’s the difference between fruit tea and milk tea?

Milk tea is the most traditional type of bubble tea. It varies on recipes from store to store, but can include non-dairy liquid or powdered creamers to whole milk, or alternative milks to condensed milks. Fruit tea also varies, as there are fruit teas that are milk-based. However, the fruit teas typically are infused with real fruit in it or has added fruit syrup added to it. Think of your typical passion fruit, or mango teas mixed with a black tea or green tea base.