Boba tea has taken the world by storm! It has become incredibly popular in recent years.
And with Starbucks being one of the biggest shops for coffee and tea, it’s only logical to wonder if you can get your favorite boba tea at Starbucks. So, we looked into it and this is what we found…
Does Starbucks Sell Boba Tea?
Starbucks does not sell boba tea, and they never have. However, they are often asked for it because customers assume that Starbucks, a multinational coffeehouse chain which also sells tea drinks, will naturally have boba tea on their menu.
It is not known exactly why Starbucks doesn’t offer bubble tea, but one theory is that the process involved for making quantities of it at speed would be too complex (and thus, expensive) for Starbucks to add it to all their stores.
What Is Boba Tea?
Boba tea, or bubble tea, is made with a black or green tea base to which milk and flavourings, such as honey, are added and then mixed with tapioca balls or pearls.
It is the tapioca balls which form the bubbles, and hence the name “bubble tea”.
Although Starbucks don’t make or serve these tapioca pearls, they do serve the black and green teas that make up the base drink.
Starbucks also offer a range of milks, including soy milk, condensed milk, and fresh milk.
Bubble teas come in a range of flavours because sugars and flavours are added to the base tea. Starbucks stores offer many of these flavourings.
What Are Boba Pearls?
Boba pearls are the soft chewable bubbles found in boba tea and are made from tapioca flour, water, and brown sugar.
Tapioca is a starch made from the cassava root, which is a woody shrub native to South America.
When the tapioca flour (which is all starch) interacts with the warm syrup (made from warm water and brown sugar) it forms a dough, and the pearls are made from this.
The colour and texture of the pearls comes from the sugar or honey sweeteners added during the process.
Where Can You Buy Boba Tea?
You can purchase a boba tea at a range of specialty tea shops in the United States, where, compared to conventional teas, boba tea is a little newer on the scene.
Thebest way to find a café that features bubble tea is to look them up online and check first. Most of the chain stores don’t include bubble teas at all, although some may be considering them.
It is more likely that you’ll find the boba tea range drinks from dedicated tea cafes that build their menu around just the bubble tea lines.
Does Starbucks Have Boba Pearls?
Starbucks has a range of tea drinks, but they do not sell boba pearls or include them in any of their drinks.
However, if you’re a bit of a tea connoisseur, Starbucks is probably still worth checking out. Some of the teas they sell are:
- Hot teas, such as green tea, and black tea
- Fruit teas, such as honey citrus mint tea, jade citrus mint,
- Tea lattes, such as matcha green tea, vanilla chai latte, English breakfast tea latte, and the Mint Majesty, which does not contain either caffeine or sugar
- Iced tea drinks, such as iced green tea, and iced matcha latte
- Other iced drinks, such as iced black tea lemonade, iced green tea lemonade, iced passion tango tea, and iced guava black tea, just to name a few
- Iced milk drinks, such as the green tea Frappuccino
The teas at Starbucks are made with a range of milks, syrups, sugars, extracts, ice and cream.
It is all these “extras” and the variety of teas available that make it possible for you to still enjoy a bubble tea.
You can do this by starting the tea making process at Starbucks and completing it at home.
What Can You Drink At Starbucks If You Like Boba Tea?
Starbucks have all the base ingredients for a boba tea – except for the pearls. Therefore, you can purchase your base tea, including the flavours and sugars you want, and purchase the pearls elsewhere.
The tapioca pearls are available at any boba tea store or café, and you can also buy them online through bubble tea supply sites, online Asian grocery sites, and even on Amazon.
It’s also possible to find tapioca pearls at health food stores and some supermarkets and chain stores such as Walmart and Woolworths.
You might want a very thick straw, which is the traditional way to enjoy a boba tea.
Make sure to read the instructions on the packet, boil the pearls correctly, and then they are ready to be added to you tea.
Want to learn more about Starbucks? Check out this article to find out if Starbucks Chai Tea contains caffeine
Conclusion..
Although Starbucks seems the obvious place to pick up a boba tea, you might be disappointed if you try. The bubble tea drinks are time consuming and expensive to make – and Starbucks is unable to incorporate them into all their outlets.
However, there is an alternative. You can purchase your tea at Starbucks and then complete the boba tea making process at home and still end up with a genuine and very tasty bubble tea.