In such dark times (namely the age of soda overconsumption), we need a savior. Someone big, strong and capable. That being? Boba tea. Boba tea can solve any problem, and this is why a ranked list of the top 10 boba tea flavors is critical.
This list will be based on my personal preferences and what I have tried. Although I consider myself to have tried many flavors, I cannot stuff myself like a candy bag to try them all. This is just my personal ranking, not the holy list of boba.
Based on both popularity and the wonders I have seen throughout my boba tea journey, I have to rank taro as the number one flavor. This tea is a great introductory tea, and once it holds your hand it will never let go. Taro tea is actually made out of the root vegetable of taro root.
This root actually has many health benefits, including containing minerals, vitamins and fibers. The root also can help with digestion, heart health, blood sugar control and more. If we just choose to close our eyes at a boba tea’s hefty sugar content, this root is actually quite healthy! Steeped usually in a jasmine or black tea, and with milk added along with sugar and tapioca pearls, taro is the winner of everyone’s hearts. With a sweet and almost nutty taste, you can never go wrong with taro.
Second place has to be brown sugar milk tea. Like taro, it is a great introductory drink. Based with milk and brown sugar syrup, it is very simple but delicious. Almost all the time, this is a very hard drink to mess up. Unless your barista stubs their toe, you cannot lose with this drink. The Noon Tea Creperie is an especially good place to get this flavor. While delivering a warm and comforting taste, this drink almost consistently always comes out good.
My third ranking goes to Thai milk tea. I have never had bad Thai milk tea. Although very high in caffeine, the flavor is simply delectable. Made with strongly brewed black tea and usually condensed milk, the black tea tastes so sweet with a pinch of spice. Although I wouldn’t recommend this one for the faint of heart or the faint of stomach, Thai milk tea is a staple in boba tea for a reason.
I made my top three ranking based on my preferences, but also on what teas are more generally loved. However, this next flavor is much more niche. If you do not like my list, please write your own.
Next on the pyramid is the winter melon milk from Kung Fu Tea. Not milk tea, just milk. This is to differentiate it from the winter melon milk tea. One difference is that the milk flavor is on the milk strike menu, which is a menu of drinks made with Lactaid or lactose free milk.
But the main difference (which even I did not know, but we will pretend I did for professionalism’s sake) is that the winter melon milk is made with winter melon syrup and lactose free milk, while the winter melon milk tea is made with winter melon syrup, milk and tea.
Such a big difference, I know. But for one like myself who is both lactose intolerant and cannot touch caffeine or I will pogo stick off the wall, the difference is huge. Winter melon milk tastes smooth and sweet, and one can taste the melons in the drink. I would recommend this drink for anyone to try, as its low caffeine content and lactose-free milk make it very accessible to many different groups of people.
My fifth place rank is given to honeydew milk tea. Honeydew is another type of melon (put me in a melon patch at this point) that is also on the sweet side. I would argue that the sweetness is more subdued and grounded compared to the winter melon, and this drink is quite refreshing in any season after a long day. The honeydew slushies are quite good as well.
Honorable mentions are the rose tea at Noon Tea Creperie (with a seltzer base) and the mango green tea at Kung Fu Tea. Both flavors will have you feeling extremely rejuvenated, and with popping bubbles in each, they will definitely be a memorable drink for you to try.
Kayla Kieran is a first year exploring her major.
Featured image courtesy of Pexels.com.
