How to Choose Your Bubble Tea: Type, Flavours & Toppings

January 30, 2024 dotcomwomen

Waiting in line at a bubble tea spot, you have some crucial decisions to make. Those couple of minutes spent staring at the menu are essential; they allow you to formulate your perfect drink by selecting a base, flavour, toppings and customizations.

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But what happens if there’s no line? How do you make those tough decisions on the fly? Sure, the “tearistas” are patient enough to wait as you mull over your options, but arriving with a game plan is always wise.

In this article, let’s do some pre-planning. Using the expansive menu at Chatime.ca, we’ll explore the types, flavours and toppings available to craft your ideal bubble tea!

Bubble Tea Types

The first tough decision you’ll make is figuring out what type of bubble tea you want.

If you’re in a purist mood, go for the classic milk tea base – a captivating mix of freshly brewed black tea, comforting milk and a dash of sweetener. You can order your milk tea hot or cold, depending on the season and your personal taste.

If you’re feeling creative, try bold flavour bases like green tea or fruit tea. The former pairs sweet, zippy green tea with the toppings of your choice (see below), while the latter packs a fruit-forward punch that’s perfect on a warm day (or any day, really). If you’re really feeling like a cold treat, you can even try slushes and smoothies as a base.

The Wide World of Bubble Tea Flavours

Milk tea can be as simple or creative as you want. You can opt for the classic or throw in some bold flavours.

The Chatime menu features several spins on the classic: Earl Grey milk tea, Genmaicha, Golden Lily (made with floral Alishan JinShyuan Tea), and Oolong-style Iron Goddess milk tea, among others. You can also try comforting chocolate malt milk tea, nutty hazelnut milk tea, salted caramel or even honeydew milk tea.

Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find innovative flavours like taro, spiced black tea and earthy matcha. Take a moment to peruse the menu (linked above) to figure out your perfect base flavour.

Choosing Your Perfect Toppings

Ok, you have your perfect base – now it’s time to fill it with toppings.

Again, you can take the purist’s route with satisfyingly springy tapioca pearls. Or you can branch out and try something unexpected. Here are a few popular toppings on the Chatime menu:

Passionfruit jelly
Grass jelly
Popping boba
Sweet egg pudding
Brown sugar pearls
And many more

If you’re having trouble choosing between two, treat yourself to both. Ordering multiple toppings is a fantastic way to try new iterations of your favourite drink.