Some things are perfect the way they are: a sunset in the springtime, swimming in emerald-blue waters on a Mediterranean beach, a fine Italian meal on the town.
Still, even perfect things can be improved upon. That spring sunset gets better with a comfy chair to rest in. That Mediterranean beach gets better with a few friends to share the experience. And that fine Italian meal tastes better when someone else is paying!
Then, there’s bubble tea. Bubble tea, the relatively recent global craze, is about as perfect a drink as you can get. Combining richly nuanced tea with comforting sweetness and playful toppings, it’s a multi-sensory experience that never fails to deliver.
And like those perfect experiences above, you can make a perfect experience even better with a few simple improvements. In this blog, let’s explore how to elevate your bubble tea experience to sip in style!
Get Creative with the Bases
The base of a bubble tea – that is, the liquid component of the drink – is fundamental in shaping the flavour profile and overall experience.
The most popular base is milk tea, which is the classic choice—the “OG” base upon which bubble tea was invented. But nowadays, you can find several bases gracing the menus of bubble tea shops, with innovative global brands like Chatime continually unveiling exciting new options.
Want to elevate your boba experience? Get creative. Branch out and explore the unfamiliar. Instead of your classic milk tea order, reach for one of the following specialty bases:
- Early Grey Milk Tea
- Jasmine Jade Milk Tea
- Chocolate Hazelnut Milk Tea
- Lychee, Passion Fruit or Mango Juice
- Grapefruit or Peach Tea
- Matcha Strawberry Latte
- Taro Smoothie or Honeydew Slush
Each of these delicious bases are phenomenal in their own right. One surefire way to elevate your bubble tea experience is to head into the shop with an adventurous palate and open mind!
Load Up on New Toppings
If bases are the fundamentals of bubble tea, toppings are the fun.
The word “toppings” is sort of a misnomer in the bubble tea world. Rather than topping the drink, these cute morsels often sink to the bottom – where you can hunt them with your wide straw. Regardless of how accurate the name is, you can find several exciting toppings at a bubble tea shop.
The classic option – hailing back to the origins of bubble tea in 1980s Taiwan – is tapioca pearls. They’re chewy, bouncy and fun to slurp. However, if you’re looking to elevate your bubble tea experience, consider some of these alternatives, plucked from the menu at Chatime.ca:
- Grass Jelly
- Pudding
- Passion Fruit Jelly
- Popping Boba (which comes in lychee and mango flavours)
- Coconut Jelly
- Sea Salt Crema
- QQ, a Mix of tapioca pearls and coconut jelly
- Real fruit bits, as in the limited run, spring Sakura offerings
- And more
If you want to supercharge your boba experience, choose the maximum number of toppings. That way, you can imbue your creation with textural variation and sample as many flavours as possible.
Explore Exciting Flavor Combinations
Now that you know all about the innovative bases and exciting toppings on offer, you can be the master of your own destiny, the mad scientist, and the bold adventurer.
Explore the countless possible permutations to find inventive flavour combinations. Combine grass jelly and pudding with chocolate malt milk tea for a deeply comforting spin on the classic. Pair popping boba with a matcha latte for the ultimate “wake-up” jolt. Or top your matcha latte with sea salt crema for an ultra-elegant afternoon drink.
The possibilities are endless. And the only way to try them all is to keep going back for bubble tea — sigh, what a task!
Have It Your Way: Customizing Your Creation
As they say in infomercials: “But wait, there’s more!”
Before your “tearista” seals the drink with that trademark covering, you have a golden opportunity to put a personal spin on your bubble tea. Dial in the sweetness, or swap honey for sugar. Add more ice, less ice, or remove the ice entirely. Substitute the milk for oat milk to make a vegan bubble tea. Or make it caffeine-free for a kid-friendly (or night-time-friendly) version.
Have it your way. One of the best ways to elevate your bubble tea experience is to remember one simple maxim: You’re in control. Bubble tea is all about creating a personalized experience, so you might as well put your stamp on it.
Grab Some Glassware
Want to level up your bubble tea game even more? Consider classing it up with your own bubble tea glass.
Bubble tea normally comes in a flashy plastic cup, which is bright, fun and iconic. But sometimes, you crave the tactile sophistication of a real glass. In these cases, consider buying a reusable bubble tea glass (handily fitted with a hole up top to accommodate a large reusable straw). You can find bubble tea glasses right now at Chatime Canada locations. Alternatively, you can order a bubble tea glass online at most major e-tailers.
It’s a simple, sustainable, waste-reducing way to elevate your bubble tea experience.
Elevate the Aesthetics for a Perfect Social Media Post
If you drink a bubble tea in the forest, and no one’s there to post it on TikTok, does it make a slurp?
Once you have your hands on that perfect bubble tea, consider posting your creation on social media. Elevate the aesthetics by choosing a complementary backdrop, and add your favourite filter. Get artistic with the framing and composition. Or simply take a selfie with your bubble tea for a straightforward snapshot into your life. Bubble tea’s always better when you share it!
Conclusion
Bubble tea is perfect the way it is. However, if you want to improve on perfection, follow the steps above: get creative with your bases, branch out with toppings, try exciting new combinations, customize your creation, grab a glass, and turn your masterpiece into a bona fide work of art by taking pictures.
