If you haven’t yet discovered boba milk tea, you can quickly find one at a tea shop near you like bubble tea supplier Australia. This very popular sweet drink originated in Asia. It’s a combination of sweet tea, natural or artificial flavors, and a layer of swaying tapioca “pearl” at the bottom of the cup. Tapioca looks like a bubble, when it raises through a straw you get “boba”.
Some other names for boba include bubble tea, pearl milk tea, tapioca tea, and pearl shake. This drink is usually served cold, with a very wide straw to suck the chewy boba along with your drink. Boba tea is usually available in tea shops that offer a variety of flavors and preparations.
Boba Milk Tea: Good or Bad?
Despite bad press in the past, boba tea remains a popular drink in Asia and judging by the long lines at the boba tea shop, it seems to be everyone’s favorite drink. But how healthy is actually drinking boba tea?
As a food source, tapioca is a non-starter. Although a staple in some local diets, its only contribution is as a carbohydrate for quick energy. It’s very low in vitamins and minerals, and the lack of fiber is so noticeable that even if you can eat enough tapioca to get little nutritional benefits, you’re more likely to experience a lot of constipation.
Tapioca balls are made from starch, or tapioca starch, which comes from the cassava root, which is mainly grown in Nigeria and Thailand. Tea leaves is also part of ingredient in creating boba milk tea.
The effects of the phenols and polyphenols found in tea have been studied in detail and have shown promise against cardiovascular disease and obesity. But the amount of sugar you’d be consuming by drinking enough boba tea to get these benefits isn’t worth it. Also, in the average boba drink, you won’t be consuming enough fruit to benefit from it. And many teahouses use fake fruit flavors or sugar fruit concentrates.
Authentic boba tea, also known as pearl milk tea, is primarily black or green tea brewed mixed with milk, sugar and chewed tapioca pearls and usually served cold with ice.
Fruit flavored boba tea is also available in various flavors such as mango, lychee, strawberry, honeydew melon, and green apple. For a fruity taste, fruit puree (natural or sweet), flavored syrup, or fresh fruit is added to the main tea.
Antioxidants tea
Drinking black or green tea every day is good for your health as it is a rich source of a group of antioxidants called polyphenols.
Polyphenols have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. They can help protect the body from free radicals that cause cellular damage and inflammation in the body.
The bottom line
Call it want, this sweet drink is more fun than nutritious. Indulge in moderation if you want a snack and don’t have any of the above intolerances. Sip a cup of green or black tea for its unique benefits and enjoy real fresh fruit instead of sweet fruit flavours. Boba, boba milk tea, bubble tea, pearl milk tea is healthy, but only when consumed correctly.
