With So Many Options, What Are The Best Bubble Tea Flavors?

This article explores some of the best bubble tea flavors. Keep reading to find your next adventure.

Best bubble tea flavors
There are many bubble tea flavors you can choose from

Originating in Taiwan in the 1980s, bubble tea has taken the world by storm for the last few decades.  The traditional bubble tea is a basic black tea combined with milk, sugar, and black tapioca pearls.

It is decadent and delicious. But, these days, when it comes to bubble tea flavors, you have a mountain of options from which to choose.

One of the big draws of bubble tea is the endless variety of flavors and options for customization. From the tea base to flavorings, milk options to toppings, the world is your oyster. (Though, you probably want to keep your shellfish and boba separate.)

Every bubble tea shop features a relatively standard menu of offerings, then adds in their unique flavors and choices.  So, when considering the “best” bubble tea flavors, these are flavors you should be able to find at most bubble tea shops.

Find something that piques your interest, and then dive on in! Experimenting will help you find the bubble tea of your dreams.

Best Bubble Tea Flavors: The Basic

Sometimes you can’t go wrong with an excellent traditional drink. The same applies to bubble tea. While there are so many options, sometimes the best bubble tea flavor is a simple classic such as:

Black Bubble Tea

Is bubble tea sugar-free?
Black bubble tea is the original flavor

Black Bubble Tea is where it all started – it is the original flavor. This basic tea consists of black tea, milk, tapioca pearls, and sugar. It is a beautiful creamy, brown color with a subtle flavor profile.

Black bubble tea is a true classic. If you want to get a taste of what bubble tea is, start here.

It will give you a fantastic base to build on during your bubble tea adventures! You may find yourself coming back to this traditional flavor over and over again.

Best Fruity Bubble Tea Flavor

Fruity flavors and bubble tea go hand in hand. While many are starting to choose milky options, there is something special about a good fruit bubble tea. If you’re feeling fruity, why not give this a try:

Honeydew Bubble Tea

Hands down the best bubble tea flavor for summertime, honeydew is where it’s at. Offering a very subtle, fruity flavor, honeydew bubble tea is a refreshing drink

Try this with the softer flavor of white tea if your tea shop offers it. With a lighter tea background, the subtle sweetness of the honeydew can shine. 

Best Adventurous Bubble Tea Flavor

Then, for those that prefer to be bold and try new and exciting things, there is no end to the bubble tea flavor options. For a cheeky and bold tea, why not try:

Taro Bubble Tea

Boba tea vs Bubble tea
Taro bubble tea offers a subtle taste

Taro is a beautiful root vegetable with a bright purple color. Flavor-wise, it is similar to sweet potato with a hint of vanilla, offering a subtle taste.

You can switch up your tea base if you’d like to experiment even more. Why not see how a white tea or an oolong works with the flavor of the taro? 

Taro bubble tea is a beauty. The purple liquid gets softened with creamy milk. Add in black tapioca pearls, and you have an eye-catching drink on your hands! 

Best Savory Bubble Tea Flavor

As bubble tea grows in popularity, so too does the range of options. Savory teas are now becoming a common sight in tea shops. If you feel like indulging your savory side, then you really should try:

Ginger Bubble Tea

Technically more spicy than savory, ginger bubble tea packs a nice punch. When combined with creamy milk and a hint of sugar, you have an unbeatable drink! 

If your tea shop offers flavored tapioca pearls, you can add some extra punch to your ginger bubble tea.  Ginger goes very nicely with many softer flavors, allowing you to have some fun playing with flavor combinations.

Best “Must Try” Bubble Tea Flavor

There are always items on a menu that we keep meaning to try but never do. It could be the fear of the unknown or just because we never get that far down the list. However, next time you’re getting your bubble fix, you really should give this bubble tea flavor a try:

Matcha Bubble Tea

If you’ve never had this bright green tea, you are missing a treat! Matcha has some grassy undertones to it. So, if you are looking for a slightly more savory experience, go this route and hold off on the sugar. 

Combined with milk and tapioca pearls, you will find a beautiful and satisfying drink.  The black tapioca pearls are a fun contrast (in both appearance and taste) to the bright green matcha bubble tea.

Author

  • Aisling O'Connor

    Aisling is an Irish food and drinks writer and journalist fueled by coffee and herbal tea. She followed up her journalism degree with nutrition studies. Find Aisling on LinkedIn.