Different types of boba include fruit flavors, brown sugar, ice tea, jasmine green tea, milk tea, and many others.
In this article, we will discuss some types of boba. Before we look at them, let us first examine what boba is.
Boba is any tea drink that contains tapioca balls, which are also known as pearls. These balls are slight, chewy, and made from tapioca. It is worth noting here that tapioca is a starch derived from cassava root.
Boba tea is also called pearl tea, tapioca tea, bubble tea, or pearl milk tea. These pearls in a boba drink are made of three ingredients: sugar, water, and tapioca starch.
The dough is made from these ingredients and then partitioned and spun into little balls. There are five different types of boba, and we will examine each of them. Come on, let’s go for a boba walk.
1. Flavored Tapioca Boba
These are your typical conventional pearls coated with flavored syrup. The desired flavor is incorporated when preparing the tapioca here; these flavors range from fruity flavors, such as watermelon, mango, honey, and peach, to less fruity flavors like almond, coffee, ginger, and taro.
These flavored tapioca pearls are also called jelly pearls at some cafes. They are in smoothies and classic brewed teas like black or green tea. This is one of the different types of boba.
2. Popping Tapioca Boba Balls
This is also one of the different types of boba, but it is not made of tapioca starch. Surprising right? These balls here are made when there’s a chemical and physical reaction of flavored fruit juice to sodium alginate.
This reaction occurs when they are mixed. The mixture here is then placed in a bowl of calcium chloride, and water is added gradually.
When this is done, bubbles erupt on the surface, becoming boba balls. These types of boba balls are filled with artificial chemicals, so be careful about the quantity you consume.
Popping tapioca balls is pretty popular because they have flavored fruit juice that produces a delicious sensation in the mouth when they are chewed. The popping tapioca balls are mostly used in smoothies and shaken iced teas.
3. Crystal Boba
Crystal boba is one of the different types of boba tea trending in the boba world. The crystal boba is transparent and not as chewy as the other types of boba.
It is made from the Konjac plant, and its texture is like gelatin or jelly. The balls of crystal boba can be incorporated with flavors, too, so there are different varieties of this type of boba.
Another fantastic property of crystal boba is that it contains fewer calories, making it an ideal choice for individuals who want to watch their body weight.
So, you get all the goodness of boba while avoiding the calories responsible for fat when you go with crystal boba.
4. Black Boba
This type of boba is made from cassava root. The black hue is achieved by incorporating brown sugar or caramel during production.
Also called bubbles or pearls, black boba is found primarily in milk-based bubble tea. Black boba is tapioca with added coloring that makes it sweeter. This boba is chewy and bouncy and has an almost licorice flavor.
The black boba is so popular today that many people see it as the signature picture of bubble tea.
This is one of the common types of boba, which can be seen in most boba shops. Black boba is popular not just because of its color but also because it tastes delicious.
5. Clear Boba
These boba pearls are made of tapioca starch and water. The balls here are clear because no additional flavor or color is added during preparation. Sometimes, white sugar syrup is added to give it a sweeter taste.
Unlike black boba, which has a hint of extra sweetness due to brown sugar, clear boba is made from tapioca starch without any additives.
The absence of additives makes the clear boba tasteless, and it only becomes tasty when it absorbs the flavor of the tea or milk in which it is placed.
When you order a clear boba tea, it will assimilate whatever you order and taste like it. Isn’t that amazing? Go ahead and place your order, and you’ll get a complete feel of what you ordered while enjoying the taste of tapioca balls.
Conclusion
Boba is an amazing tea with tapioca balls that comes in different varieties. With so many different types of boba out there, you can choose one that suits your taste palate. So, go ahead and enjoy your choice of boba.
