My First Bubble Tea

Here at Taipec we are passionate about sharing the tastes of Taiwan, so we sent a Bubble Tea first-timer to try to try it out. This is my first Bubble Tea!

Combining tea, milk, and tapioca pearls in its most simple form (and popping boba, syrup, and almost anything else you can imagine at its most inventive!) boba (or pearl tea, milk tea…) is the tasty Taiwanese treat that has achieved global fame. While the UK was slow to catch on to the trend; once bubble tea landed people were hooked.

Here at Taipec we are proud to supply Boba shops all over the UK. We thought we should share our passion with a friend. So we sent someone out who has never tried boba to taste test the whole spectrum of bobas on the menu.

Your First Bubble Tea

When you first walk into a Boba shop there seems to be an endless choice. What type of Tea? Milk, Black, Green? Tapioca balls or popping boba? Creamer or milk? Fruity or sweet? And what about toppings?

At first glance the tea could easily be mistaken for a dessert which, in a way, it is. Originally created when a traditional Taiwanese tapioca dessert was mixed with a milk tea, the rest as they say… is history.

When I had recovered from my initial surprise at the range of options available I perused the board. I will be the first to admit I have a bit of sweet tooth and so the fruity options stood out. I selected a watermelon fruity-based tea and then moved on to select the pearls. Deciding that I had already committed to a ‘non-traditional' tea I opted for the popping boba – pineapple flavour – and looked on as my selection came to life.

The First Taste

Within a minute or two I was presented with my brightly coloured boba, complete with its characteristically large straw. Having grown up drinking tea and coffee (both bland by comparison…) the pop of colour was a welcome change and it was hard to resist snapping a photo for Instagram.

Piercing the film with my straw I took a long swig and was hit with a burst of flavour. Genuinely fruity and not too sweet it was very pleasant. The first ‘pop' of the boba was a culinary experience I will not be forgetting soon! The combination of flavours was intriguing and worked well. As I strolled through the city centre I started to notice just how many people were sipping boba.

The Verdict

As a newcomer to the world of bubble tea I opted for a fruity, flavoursome tea and I was not disappointed. While I did not sample the more traditional options I will be doing so in the future. And I have to say, I'm converted. The mixture of flavours, combination of tastes, and endless customisability has opened up a whole new world to me. I can't wait to try more boba and I hope you join me on this journey.