A Beginner's Guide To Ordering At A Bubble Tea Shop

Bubble tea as we know it today was first served in Taiwan in the 1980s. There is a bit of contention over which teahouse in Taiwan actually invented the drink, as many think it was Chun Shui Tang Teahouse located in the central part of the country, while others are sure it was Hanlin Tea Room in the south, per LA Weekly. But, no matter where the drink was first poured, there is something we can all agree on: Bubble tea is delicious.

Since becoming a staple of Asian-American culture in the early 2000s, the sweet tapioca drink has skyrocketed in popularity across all demographics. These days, there seems to be a bubble tea shop on nearly every corner. However, if you have never had bubble tea before, breaking into the market can seem a bit intense. This makes sense as there a lot of customizations you can make to your drink, including literally hundreds of options to choose from. To take the stress out of ordering and get you well on your way to the drink of your dreams, we've broken down how to order a bubble tea, step by step.

After you select the variant of your tea, the next thing the barista will ask you is which type of tea you prefer to have: Green tea or black tea. In some unique cases, the tea you select will only come in one or the other. In that case, you can skip this step. However, for most options, you will have to choose. According to Artful Tea, the biggest difference between the two types of tea is how tea companies process them. Black tea is processed in a way that ensures lots of oxidation. This means the tea is left out and exposed to oxygen for longer to impact its nutrients and flavor profile. Green tea is heated early in the process to stop it from oxidizing, which means the leaves retain their green color, hence its name.

The location of the teas' origin is also different. Green teas come from China and Japan, while black teas usually come from China and India. However, when selecting the option for your drink, the most important thing to know is the tea's flavor profile. Black teas tend to be stronger tasting, while most others would describe green tea as soft.

The final choice to make is whether you want to upgrade to a slushie or a smoothie. According to Julie's Cafe Bakery, the most noticeable difference between the two types of drink is their consistency, but that's not the only way they differ. At its core, a smoothie is an option prepared with more whole foods. It typically includes fruit, a select few vegetables, as well as juice, milk, or yogurt. If you are visiting a bubble tea shop in the morning and want a pick-me-up for breakfast, a classic fruit smoothie could be a perfect choice.

On the other hand, a slushie is more of a dessert type of beverage. The main ingredient of a slushie is typically plenty of crushed ice, which gives the drink its classic crunchy texture. This is followed by adding a flavored, sugary syrup to give the drink the flavor of your choice. Overall, both options are perfect to choose, it just depends on what you are in the mood for when you order. To spice things up, consider adding a few sinkers to your drink, like boba.

Many who don't like bubble tea cite tapioca as a reason they won't come back for more. So, if you are someone who struggles with the texture of solid tapioca pearls, but still want to add a little decoration to your drink, you should try popping boba instead. According to Fanale Drinks, the topping is also often used by frozen yogurt chains and potentially better known as bursting fruit bubbles.

This option differs from traditional boba in composition because the balls are a little smaller and hollow inside. The outer coating is also made from seaweed extract, instead of chewy tapioca, so it is way easier to bite through. When you bite down, you don't need to use a lot of pressure before the bubble instantly pops and covers your tastebuds with a delicious coating of fruit juice. Popping boba comes in a variety of flavors, like mango, strawberry, and lime. This sinker choice tends to work best with fruit teas, as the fruit juice inside might clash with the flavors of most milk teas. However, as you explore the world of bubble tea, feel free to mix and match to see what works best for you.

While you might not immediately think of beans and bubble tea as a winning combination, trust us — you are going to love it. According to Savor Japan, red beans are traditionally known as anko in Japanese cuisine. It gets this name because when Chinese foods, including sweet buns, arrived in the country in the 7th century, local monks didn't want to eat meat. So the monks swapped the meat, known as anko, for a red bean paste which looked similar. Anko was originally a savory choice, but as its use became more widespread, Japanese cooks began sweetening it with boiled ivy sap, and eventually sugar.

From its humble beginnings in Japan, anko — or sweetened red beans — are now a staple in many desserts across Asia. If you enjoy drinks with contrasting textures, you will likely enjoy the beans in your tea. Even when fully submerged in the liquid, the beans maintain their firm texture, adding excitement to each sip. When bitten into, sweetened red beans taste a bit like candied nuts. They have a subtle, earthy flavor that nicely complements the tang of a fruit tea or the sweetness of a milk tea. If you are unsure about adding beans to your bubble tea, ask the barista if you can try a sample before deciding.

From health concerns to personal taste preferences, there are many reasons you might want to control the amount of sugar in your bubble tea. According to the USDA, added sugar should be kept to a minimum each day, at less than 10% of total foods consumed. The great thing is that just like every other aspect of your drink, its sugar level is entirely customizable. Each drink has about 1½ to 3 tablespoons of sugar inside, depending on your choice of flavor and the amount of sinkers you add in, per Talk Boba.

When ordering, simply tell the barista if you would like to reduce the sugar content in your drink. Most bubble tea places will have a small chart on the counter telling you the different levels of sweetness offered at that location. These are typically from zero to 100, stopping at each quarter along the way. For your first couple of drinks, ask the barista if you can make your drink 50% sweet. You can always add in more sugar after the fact if it tastes too bland, but if it is too sweet for you, you won't be able to enjoy it at all. From there, you can adjust the sugar level up or down to fit your personal preferences.

It's true that walking into a bubble tea shop for the first time can be really overwhelming. If you are still unsure what drink to order, a safe bet is to try asking the barista what the most popular drink at the shop is. Often, they might have a personal favorite they can share with you, or suggest one of one of the top selling drinks at that location. If you don't want to ask, many bubble tea shops have a popular drinks and specials list either on the printed menu, or on one of the digital screens.

While you typically can't go wrong ordering one of those, here are a few international favorites to try to get you started off on the right foot. First, if you want something milky, consider Thai milk tea. It's a creamy black tea served with condensed milk to make it extra sweet. As with most other black teas, Thai tea comes with a number of health benefits, like lowering blood pressure and decreasing inflammation in the body, per WebMD. Another milky option to try is Hong Kong milk tea, which is another black tea that is very popular in Asia. Most bubble tea shops would simply sell this choice as "milk tea." If you want something lighter, you can't go wrong with peach or mango green tea, as both fruity options taste fresh with a similar flavor profile to sweetened lemonade.