Bubble Tea

Bubble tea – or boba, as the drink is just as often called – is tea or milk tea with chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom, served ice cold with a wide straw. At FUDI you will find Norway's largest selection: ready-to-drink boba tea from Madam Hong, Chin Chin, OMG and O's Bubble, Norwegian-made Nordic Boba and Boba Cat – plus everything you need to make your own at home: tapioca pearls, popping boba and complete bubble tea kits.

Boba, bubble tea or milk tea?

Three names for the same family. Boba is really the tapioca pearls themselves, but is used for the whole drink. Milk tea is the version with milk – the Taiwanese classic is black tea, milk and brown sugar. Order a boba milk tea in Taiwan and a bubble tea in Norway, and you get the same glass.

What are tapioca pearls?

The chewy balls are made from tapioca starch from the cassava root. They are boiled until soft and glossy, then dropped into milk tea, iced tea or smoothies. Popping boba is a different kind – thin spheres with liquid fruit filling that burst in your mouth.

The flavours

Classic brown sugar milk tea is the safest start. Taro is the purple, nutty-sweet one, matcha the green and slightly bitter one, and fruit flavours like mango, lychee and strawberry are the freshest. Most ready-to-drink brands come in several flavours.

Make bubble tea at home

Boil tapioca pearls for 5–10 minutes, rinse in cold water, and drop them into a glass of ice-cold milk tea or fruit tea. A bubble tea kit gives you pearls, syrup and wide straws in one. The full method is in our bubble tea at home guide.

Frequently asked questions about boba

Are boba and bubble tea the same? Yes. Boba was originally the name of the tapioca pearls, bubble tea the drink – in practice both are used for both.

Is bubble tea vegan? Tapioca pearls are plant-based, but ready-to-drink milk tea often contains milk. Check the ingredient list – several fruit varieties are milk-free.

How long do tapioca pearls keep? Dry pearls keep for a long time in the cupboard. Cooked pearls should be eaten the same day – they harden in the fridge.

Does boba contain caffeine? Drinks with black or green tea do; fruit varieties usually do not. See the individual product.

See also tea and frozen desserts.