The taps (BBT talk for tapioca balls) are out of the bag and it’s no secret that bubble tea is one of the most deliciously refreshing beverages you are likely to have from here to Taipei. In fact, this summery drink has become so popular across the world that savvy food creators are now making their own boba-inspired delicacies.
From the delicious to the downright bizarre - here are some wild and worldly bubble tea-inspired foods from around the world.
Ice cream
In a recent blog we discussed just how well boba and ice cream go together. Well, somebody realised that because they go so damn well together the only reasonable thing was to combine them into their one delicious entity. You can now buy bubble tea-flavoured ice cream across the world, with one New York store creating flavours like black tea and oolong that are then paired with delightful toppings like mini stroopwafels, pretzels, Oreo crumbs and, of course, tapioca balls. It’s a creamy summertime dream.
Ramen
Many people might think it's mad to combine sweet boba ingredients like tapioca balls and milky tea with typical ramen ingredients like noodles, boiled eggs and pork but hey, you can’t truly love or hate something until you’ve gone so far as to invent it and consume it. That’s exactly what’s happened in Taiwan and Japan, with restaurants serving up colourful concoctions that combine these two beloved food types. Once again, the ramen is topped with the chewy, addictive tapioca balls, making this recent trend popular amongst lovers of both regional delights.
Sushi
Sushi is often laden with another shiny, pearl-like ingredient: fish roe. And whilst Itamae (sushi chefs) have been lining their creations with roe for many years, boba tea-inspired sushi has only recently sprung up as a result of its growing international popularity. A sushi restaurant in Jakarta claims to be the first boba sushi restaurant in the world, serving up unique, albeit apparently delicious salmon salad boba and roasted salmon roll with boba. We love sushi, just as most people do, so we hope to get over to Jakarta and give this Taiwanese/Japanese-inspired sushi a go.
Pizza
Yep, that says “pizza”. Did you think it was possible? Maybe not. But did most people 40 years ago think the internet would be so popular by this time? Probably not, either (we assume). So when we say boba pizza is a thing, you best believe that they’re making it and serving it to delighted customers. Where, you ask? At Malaysian-based My Pizza Lab. Here, they cook up cream cheese and mozzarella-topped pizza before adding condensed milk and tapioca pearls to the doughy equation - molto bene!
We do the classic boba tea - but it’s really good tea
Sure, you might not find boba pizza available at Bubble Tea Club, but that’s because we make the ingredients for you to make your own delicious boba at home. Enjoy our wonderful combinations alone or add them to your favourite pasta dish - it’s up to you - just know that you can pick up some of the most delectable homemade boba available this side of the equator right here at our online store.