Written by Alyssa Gabrielle Chen
The Asian obsession with boba, bubble tea, milk tea, or whatever you call it has been at a constant peak for years now. Everyone, including me, just can’t get enough of boba that more and more creative (sometimes unconventional) boba food inventions are hitting the markets. Surprisingly, a lot of them are receiving good reviews from boba fanatics.
Check out some of the boba-inspired dishes below and tell us whether you’re G to give it a try or nah, you’ll probably just have boba in a cup!
10. Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream
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The country who invented boba has something new in-store for us again. A Taiwanese company named Xiao Mei has launched a new brown sugar boba popsicle that has us most Asians around the world drooling. The popsicle mimics the brown sugar milk tea, even having real tapioca embedded in it!
9. Bubble Tea Cake
Wondering what cake to get for the birthday of your milk tea addict best friend? Well, worry no more, because bubble tea cakes are now a thing. A wintermelon base topped with tapioca pearls–it does look like a good combo!
(LOOK: Milk Tea Cake now exists—and it comes with pearls, too!)
8. Boba Tarts
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If a bubble tea cake is too much of a boba treat, then maybe bite-size tarts are your go-to. A milk tea egg custard with a flaky crust and tapioca toppings sounds like an ideal dessert!
7. Bubble Tea Crab
Now start the weirder (but still popular) boba food inventions. Known for its QQ (or chewy) texture, the bubble tea crab boasts a sweet and savory taste that’s comparable to butter crab dishes.
I’d think twice before digging-in, but hey! Who knows–crabs might taste better with sweet toppings?
6. Boba Beer
We all have that one friend who drinks chocolate milk while the rest of you are chugging down hard liquor. Cheers to them, boba beer might just become their favorite booze. A mix of bubble tea and butter beer, boba beer is actually gaining popularity because of its mildly sweet taste.
5. Bubble Tea Hotpot
Although it does look peculiar at first glance, the more I look at it, the more I see its similarity with our own ginataan. I feel like its just a variation of our local dessert, changing the gata (coconut milk) to milk tea instead!
4. Bubble Tea Pizza
Pineapple on pizza? Nope, that was ages ago. It’s now tapioca on pizza. I like pineapples on pizza (don’t hate me please), but I’m not sure about this one. Give it a try though, it might just suit your taste!
3. Boba Rice
As someone who loves Thai mango sticky rice, this creation looks quite appealing. Some are saying that this is the last straw, and boba rice is a nightmare, but I don’t think so—we’re not Asian enough with just boba. Rice is the true mark of an Asian.
2. Tapioca Ramen
Uh, I love ramen, but I guess I’ll pass. You might want to give it a try because those who have tried it say the flavors really do go well together and the Japanese did not forget to incorporate that umami taste!
1. Boba Indomie
The love for boba is now put to the ultimate test. A popular Asian meal partnered with a favorite Asian dessert—you be the judge.
Do you know any stores offering these unconventional boba-inspired dishes? Comment them down below for others to try!
