Even if you are an avid boba lover, buying a cup of bubble tea can be overwhelming from the different types of drinks to the different types of topping. Did you know that there is a wide variety of boba available? You may just get an anxiety attack if you are indecisive and the queue behind you is getting longer.
When you start feeling the intent stares on your back as your try to make up your mind, your brain may just go blank. To help, here’s a guide on the different kind of boba toppings you can find at most bubble tea outlets you frequent.
1) Black Boba
The dark coloured tapioca pearls are one of the usual and most popular choice of topping at all bubble tea shops. What gives black boba its dark colour is due to the addition of caramel colouring or brown sugar. It also gives the drinks that extra sweetness and taste good on its own.
2) Clear Boba
Usually made from cassava root, which is like a starchy tuber that is related to the yam, clear boba is similar to black boba. However, they do not add caramel colouring or brown sugar therefore it is almost clear in colour and lacks sweetness. Do note that some shops may choose to add clear sugar syrup for taste. Instead of adding sweetness to the drinks, the boba will “absorb” the milk and flavour of the tea instead. This will make every bite of boba taste like your preferred drink choice.
3) Flavoured Boba
To differentiate themselves from others bubble tea chains, some stores offer a variety of flavoured boba pearls. This is usually achieved by cooking or coating it in a flavoured syrup. These boba can be named fancifully such as jelly pearls or taro boba etc depending on the ingredients used to make them and usually taste better with fruity, floral or earthy notes.
4) Popping Boba
Popping boba is one of a kind and is usually filled with fruit juice. These delicious morsels will burst inside your mouth every time you bite down on the tiny balls. Usually used as a topping for yoghurt, ice-creams and shaken iced teas, some shops offer it as a topping for your bubble teas for an extra burst of fruitiness.
5) Mini Boba
From the name mini boba, you can tell it is a smaller version of the regular boba we all know and love. The most used boba size is 8.5mm in size while the mini boba is 5mm in size. Both will enlarge slightly after cooking but mini boba of course can be cooked faster. Sometimes, when it is difficult to drink boba with a straw or you get tired of chewing for a period of time, the mini boba will be the solution to that problem.
Do note that you may not be able to find all these toppings in one store, but we hope this guide gives you some insights on what you can get on your next bubble tea order. Stay tuned for part 2 as we will go deeper into the bubble tea world and check out this article for the OG Bubble Tea Shops that you should try.
This article was brought to you by Williek.
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