Bubble tea is famous for its wide variety of flavors and blends. Deciding which flavor to try first can be challenging but classic pearl bubble tea is the most popular.
Most Popular Bubble Tea Flavors
With so many bubble tea blends imaginable, it isn’t easy to know where to start. You’ll find these notable crowd favorites in almost all boba tea stores.
If it’s your first time drinking Taiwanese bubble tea, here are some must-try flavors that won’t disappoint.
- Classic pearl bubble tea: This is the traditional flavor of bubble tea. It’s made with black tea and milk and is often topped with gooey tapioca balls.
- Fruit tea: Fruit tea is typically made with a green tea base combined with real fruit juice or syrups, such as hibiscus or peach. It has a light, tropical flavor.
- Taro milk tea: Taro milk tea has a nutty, mildly sweet flavor and a distinct purple color.
- Wintermelon bubble tea: Wintermelon has a mildly sweet, melony flavor with hints of vanilla.
- Matcha boba: Matcha is brewed with green tea powder and has a grassy, earthy flavor with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
- Chai tea: Chai tea is a rich and creamy bubble tea blend made with black tea, milk, and spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.
- Lychee milk tea: Lychee tea has a sweet and floral flavor with hints of citrus.
There are many other bubble tea flavors, but these are some of the most commonly found ones.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try other blends and see what flavor you resonate with the most. Half the fun of drinking boba is testing out all the different flavors—so, even if it sounds unimaginable, don’t knock it till you try it!
Best Bubble Tea Flavor Combinations
Once you’ve sampled the cult classics, you can move on and enjoy the top boba flavors mixed with their ideal counterparts- the toppings. The mixology of boba tea is just as important as the flavors. You don’t want to jump straight into these; let your palate get warmed up first.
Here are some of the best boba tea combinations that are sure to tantalize your taste buds:
- Strawberry milk tea with brown sugar boba: This twist on classic milk tea combines the sweetness of strawberries with the rich taste of milk for a delicious treat.
- Peach oolong fruit tea with popping boba pearls: This unique combination combines the fruity taste of peach with the slightly bitter taste of oolong tea. The popping boba gives a satisfying fruity pop that complements the boba tea.
- Coffee milk tea with coconut jelly: This rich and creamy beverage is perfect for coffee lovers who want a sweeter twist on their favorite drink.
- Thai milk tea with black tapioca pearls: This rich and floral-tasting beverage is a favorite among bubble tea lovers. The addition of tapioca pearls gives it a unique chewy texture.
- Classic black milk tea with sago: This refreshing beverage is a classic for a reason. Top it off with tiny sago balls if you prefer a more subtle topping presence in your drink.
- Honeydew milk tea with black tapioca pearls: This flavor combination is perfect for those who want a refreshing and mildly sweet beverage, perfect for a hot day.
Unique Boba Tea Flavors
If you’re feeling daring, you might want to try these unusually-pleasant bubble tea flavors:
- Korean banana milk tea: This boba drink doesn’t have a tea base. It is made with oak milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and banana.
- Lavender bubble tea: It sounds like a flower and tastes like one too. If the barista can balance the flavors successfully, it’s a delicious option.
- Almond milk matcha latte: This creamy latte is made with almond milk instead of dairy milk.
- Oreo cheesecake bubble tea: This rich and creamy beverage is made with Oreo cookies, cream cheese, and milk.
- Alcohol-infused milk tea: Some stores offer alcohol-infused versions of classic bubble tea flavors for those who want a kick in their bubble tea.
- Rice milk tea: In the same vein as almond milk tea, rice milk is a dairy-free alternative that still gives your bubble tea a creamy texture.
- Red bean milk tea: This unique concept features red bean paste, jasmine tea, and the milk or creamer of your choice.
Refreshing Bubble Tea Flavors
Sample any of these bubble tea flavors if you’re looking for a refreshing drink. They’ll keep you cool on a hot summer’s day.
- Watermelon milk tea: Think of a watermelon slushie infused with the rich creaminess of dairy milk.
- Passionfruit milk tea: This tart and tangy flavor is perfect for those who like bubble tea on the sweeter side.
- Plum milk tea: A little bit sweet, a little bit tart, and very refreshing, plum milk tea is a great fruity option.
- Lychee milk tea: This flavor is perfect for those who enjoy the juicy taste of lychee.
- Mango milk tea: Mango milk tea has a distinct sweetness that exudes the feeling of citrus, melon, and papaya all in one.
Are All Bubble Teas Sweet?
No, not all boba drinks have a sweet taste. While most bubble teas contain a sweetener of some form, either from the natural sugars in fruit juices or added sugars or syrups, there are ways to tone down the sweetness (or remove it altogether).
For example, you could order bubble tea “half-sweet” or “unsweetened.” Boba baristas are usually happy to adjust your tea drink’s sweetness level to your preferences. Also, because some black and herbal teas have an innate sweetness, you could order a tea base that is naturally less sweet, like green tea. And finally, if you’re planning to make homemade boba tea, you can remove sugar from your ingredient list.