The Boba Scene
ATTENTION: CALLING ALL BOBA LOVERS
Alright, show of hands: who here loves boba? If your hand is currently raised, we have some serious business to discuss. Whether you're new to Gainesville, are loyal to just one or two boba shops, or just aren't up-to-date with the boba scene, there are some things you need to know.
Firstly, for all my readers out there who aren't aware of what boba is, "boba" is actually the name of the little black balls in the drinks pictured above. They are made from tapioca, are typically coated in sugar, and have a chewy consistency. Also, don't be confused by the many aliases for the boba topping, such as "pearls," "bubbles," "honey boba," "tapioca," etc.
More often than not, however, "boba" is also used to describe the actual drinks themselves, with the tapioca pearls included. The drinks vary; they can comprise true "milk teas" and consist of tea with milk, or may also very well consist of just milk and powder or perhaps tea by itself. It can become very confusing, as even drinks with no teas at all are still frequently referred to as "milk tea" or "bubble tea" despite their absence of tea. There are even instances where you could put boba in iced coffees! Where tea is used, however, the five main teas include black tea, green tea, oolong tea, thai tea, and earl grey tea. You can mix and match these teas with milk if you prefer, whether it be whole milk or non-dairy milks such as oat, almond, soy, or non-dairy creamy milk.
Some popular favorites include a regular milk tea, taro milk tea, brown sugar milk tea, and thai milk tea. A regular milk tea as well as thai are the only two from that list which include actual tea, with a regular milk tea typically comprised of black tea with creamy milk and thai tea comprised of thai tea with condensed milk. Taro milk tea and brown sugar milk tea, on the other hand, do not contain any tea despite their names. Taro consists of taro powder, condensed milk, and water, while brown sugar milk tea only contains brown sugar syrup and milk. Although it is possible to dictate what sugar percentage is added to your drink (ex. 100%, 70%, 50%, and 25%), taro and thai will always be the sweetest due to their condensed milk syrup.
Finally, although tapioca balls are most commonly ordered with milk teas and other beverages, there are many other topping options, including various flavored popping bobas (which burst into flavored liquid upon biting them), jellies (which are a sweet, squishy, and rectangular), puddings (which have flan-like consistencies), and much more!
As you can see, there are many options and aspects to consider when choosing which drink you would like to order. I have barely scratched the surface, but I don't want to overwhelm any newcomers! Besides, we are here to talk shop.
The boba scene has already been present and popular throughout these past few years of my undergrad, but lately it has expanded even more! Off the top of my head, here is the current list of boba shops in Gainesville:
TeaStori
Frosty Fox
Tea Best Tea
Kung Fu Tea
Tea Moment
T-Yummi
Paris Banh Mi
BC Boba and Ice Cream
Bubbles and Bites
The shops listed above sell boba as a main item, but there are even more restaurants which also offer boba on the side, such as:
Pokébowl Station
Zero Degrees
Bento
I'm very pleased with all Gainesville has to offer in terms of boba tea, especially with the arrival of two new hot boba spots in town, but I'm eager to see how the arena might change during my last year of undergrad!
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