Each year there is a new creative beverage that sweeps the market. Some enjoy fifteen minutes of fame, while others become staples in bespoke drinks menus. Milk tea and Boba are gaining traction as the new big trend, but what are they?
Milk tea is a bubbly drink made with a tea base and served cold. Boba is an extension of the concept and includes tapioca pearls. There are many different flavors from which to choose, ranging from sickly sweet to refreshingly fruity.
Because of the variety of different flavors and preparations, finding your favorite milk tea or Boba may seem daunting. The extreme differences between the various options mean you may love one taste while finding another revolting. Let’s take a closer look at milk tea and Boba variations to simplify things.
How Sweet is Milk Tea?

Most drinks fit a relatively narrow flavor profile. For example, milkshakes are sweet, and Kombucha is tart. Milk tea and Boba can be either. Some flavors are even slightly savory.
Therefore, it is best to consider milk tea and Boba flavors as a spectrum. Strawberry milk tea is an excellent example of an extremely sweet flavor, while red bean offers a more subtle bridge between sweet and savory.
There is a more natural sweetness to many of the fruit flavors. For example, lychee offers a subtle flavor profile that hints at sweetness without a brazenly sugary experience. Then there are flavors like black sesame with a roasted, nutty, savory taste.
Because milk often imparts a slight sweetness (particularly milk containing lactose), almost every milk tea or Boba variation will hint at a sweet undertone and aftertaste.
What Type of Milk Gets Used in Bubble Tea?
Whole Milk
The “standard” milk for milk tea and Boba is whole cow’s milk. There are pros and cons to using this kind of milk.
Whole milk contributes to a creamier texture. Remember that most milk tea recipes include some water in the tea base, as well as ice. Diluting milk with water can rob milk tea of its frothy, bubbly character.
The biggest downside of whole milk is its flavor profile and indulgent richness. That means it can easily overwhelm any subtle flavors. It’s a potential deal-breaker when subtle flavors create your beverage’s unique taste.
Skimmed and Low-Fat Milk
Milk with a reduced fat content has less flavor. That may be unfortunate when enjoying a glass of milk. However, it makes these kinds of milk better for making milk tea and Boba that rely on subtle flavor profiles. The drawback is that the resulting drink is less creamy and unlikely to froth well.
The problem escalates when we consider that one must further dilute the drink with the water from the base tea and add ice. Of course, not all milk tea and Boba variations are supposed to be creamy or frothy. In those recipes, milk with a reduced fat content finds its place.
Lactose-Free Dairy Milk
Lactose is a sugar that rounds out the complete list of sugars alongside glucose, sucrose, and fructose.
Lactose intolerance is just a natural inability to break down a specific sugar. Therefore, many dairies address the problem by using the enzyme lactase to break the lactose down during preparation.
However, doing so creates dairy milk with unique properties. One such property relates to sweetness. Any sugar, including lactose, has some sweetness. Lactose has the lowest sweetness of the sugars but can still impact your milk tea’s flavor.
That is why lactose-free milk has many benefits when making milk tea and Boba. These benefits are particularly relevant when dealing with savory ingredients or easily overwhelmed flavors.
Non-Dairy Milk
How do different kinds of alternative milk stack up for Boba and milk tea? It mostly depends on your preferences.
If you primarily drink a specific type of non-dairy milk, such as oat milk, using it won’t impact your milk tea experience much. However, you will find the difference more impactful if you decide on a type of milk as a once-off novelty for your drink.
Additionally, some of the flavors of the milk may conflict with those in various milk teas. Almond milk can be particularly troublesome.
What are the Most Popular Flavors of Milk Tea?

Exploring the most popular variations is an excellent place to start when searching for your favorite milk tea flavor. Why not try some of the flavors from our list of the most popular milk teas:
Thai
It is appropriate that Thai milk tea is one of the most popular flavors. The Boba/milk tea craze originates from this popular Thai recipe.
Thai milk tea is incredibly sweet. However, spices like star anise and cardamom lend the black tea base an exotic flavor profile. The texture is a satin creaminess that owes its dessert-like appeal to sweetened condensed milk.
Lychee
The lychee milk tea is sure to please if you prefer delicate flavors that hint at floral aromas and the freshness of cool fruity undertones.
While this flavor may be the one for you, it can be slightly underwhelming. It is more of a quencher than a drink for every occasion.
Taro
The purple root vegetable may seem out of place on a list of cultured tea-based beverages. However, the result is a one-of-a-kind experience.
The taro is a naturally sweet root with a satisfying earthy aroma. The juxtaposition of savory, nutty undertones of Taro bubble tea makes a complex flavor profile that remains accessible.
Matcha
Matcha milk tea is a polarising option. Many milk tea fans complain that it lacks the subtlety and complexity of other flavors.
However, if you are a fan of matcha, you should ready yourself for a unique incarnation of the popular green tea powder-based beverage.
The milk and added sugar create a dessert variation on the more traditional matcha drink. Additionally, the flavor is decadent without the richness one would expect from a matcha latte.
Lavender
Lavender milk tea is everything that the name promises. Subtle, almost imperceptible to taste. Yet, the rich floral fragrance creates a fully rounded and almost whimsical experience.
That is very much what lavender milk tea is, an experience. Of course, there are better options than this if you only want to quench your thirst or grab a quick drink on the go. However, there is something special about enjoying lavender milk tea at your leisure.
FAQs
Is Milk Tea Healthy?
Milk tea contains a lot of sugar, and the recipes are not strictly health-conscious.
Is Milk Tea Safe for Children?
It doesn’t present any unique health risks. The main concern is the high sugar content.
Is Milk Tea an Alcoholic Beverage?
Milk tea is not, by definition, an alcoholic drink. However, there are recipes for alcoholic versions, often referred to as milk tea cocktails.