Born in Taiwan in the late 1980's, this drink has a disputed origin. Either a creative teahouse owner in Tainan saw white tapioca pearls at the market and decided to add them to tea, or a bored meeting attendant in Taichung poured her tapioca dessert into her tea. Whichever it is, we're grateful for their ingenuity!

There are two parts of prep to boba: The boba pearls themselves, and the drink. We'll start with the drink, since you might want to brew hot teas ahead of time.

To Tea or Not to Tea

Traditionally, boba is a milk tea, in both of its origin stories. A milk tea is pretty much exactly that: Milk in tea. This leaves a lot up to your preferences.

On the other hand of tea, boba is versatile! You could also use a powder mix, a smoothie, or coffee for your boba. You can even use mashed sweet potato or taro to make a nutritious boba dessert.

For this article, we'll cover our favorite tea options, but you should try whatever strikes your fancy!

Tea recommendations

For something classic and fantastic, use strong black teas such as Assam Melody or English Breakfast, or any breakfast tea, for that matter. They'll combine well with any cream or sugar and pack a great, complex flavor.


For another fantastic classic, brew up some Thai Tea! This flavorful, unique tea pairs with sweetened condensed milk for an addictive and traditional preparation. If you've always wished Thai Tea had more coconut, this is a great opportunity to pull out the coconut milk. Otherwise, it'll pair well with any sweetener or cream you like!

Love green tea? Do you need an excuse to order these Matcha sticks? The time is now: Mix your Matcha stick up per the directions or put it in the blender with a handful of ice and top it off with any milk to the 500ml (~17oz) mark for a creamy blended latte!


When using tea leaves, brew your tea strongly (about 1.5-2x strength), since milk and sweetener can dilute the flavor. Any tea can be cold brewed overnight or brewed a day ahead to cool down in the fridge.

In a pinch? Brew your twice as strong and add ice until it's cool.

Tapioca Pearls (the bubbles!)

Once you know what you want to drink, it's time for the star of the show!

You have quite a few options for tapioca pearls, and that influences how you prepare them. Each brand and type will have its own cooking time and instructions. Regardless, your pearls can't be made too far ahead of time; you have 6-8 hours to finish them off before they become too chewy and tough.

If you can't find pearls in your local grocery store, like many of us, then look for an Asian grocery store nearby or order them online. While you're buying your pearls, look for large straws that can accommodate boba. If you can't find any, any spoon that will fit your glass should work!


There's a variety of choices from white to rainbow to choose from. Brown pearls that become purple-black as they cook are the recommended fool-proof option for beginners. Their reliable texture and flavor makes a great baseline.

Brown pearls usually come in a vacuum-sealed bag with a longer preparation method of about an hour. This choice is especially economical and easy, and perfect for budgets or anyone who plans to have boba frequently.


If you're more likely to have last-minute boba cravings, you can choose a 5-minute tapioca pearl. While pricier, these pearls skip past the 20 minutes of boiling and 25 minutes of sitting.

Once your tapioca is done, you can sweeten it to taste. Not only can you use more fluid sweeteners like honey, you can combine your favorites! Try honey and brown sugar for a complex and satisfying combination. Use maple syrup for a vegan twist that complements their existing flavoring. Use sugar substitutes for sugar-sensitive diets.

If you have a little extra time, let your boba and sweetener sit for about 30 minutes before serving.

Now you can make any day a little bubblier!