What’s the difference between Boba Tea and Bubble Tea?

Bubble tea is the English name given to the popular Taiwanese drink that has taken over the world in recent years. This does appear to have very subtle linguistic origins in Mandarin, where the name was first given, but for all practical purposes, “Boba Tea” and “Bubble Tea” have no difference.

Some of the most common names you will encounter are:

• Bubble Tea
• Boba Tea
• Pearl Tea

These names all, in fact, mean the same thing. There is no difference between boba and bubble tea, but it is useful to know where these terms come from and what they mean.

What is in Boba Tea?

The basic ingredients are tea, milk, tapioca balls — occasionally called “boba” from its Mandarin name, and any syrup or topping that is desired. Given the vast number of choices the permutations become huge and your drink is effectively largely customised to your tastes.

Following the crazy creations globally, and you will usually find that in different areas, these drinks will have different names.

What's the difference between Boba Tea and Bubble Tea?

Being extremely pedantic, non-boba toppings such as coconut jelly and Q-Mochi are just about the sole distinction between the beverages, though just about everyone can be forgiven for the interchangeable use of “bubble tea” or “boba tea”. In fact, one of the reasons that bubble tea took so long to take off in the English speaking world vs Asia was the lack of standardisation between English versions. Thankfully with “Bubble Tea” prevailing in the language the norm was set and people started to focus on the organoleptic experience of the beverage itself.

Other Frequently Asked Questions

We made a blog post specifically for the top 10 questions we are asked regarding bubble tea. We recommend reading through to further increase your knowledge in this exciting and delicious field!