# Boba Tea! Ever made it at home? Taste the same without the sealed top? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 6, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boba-tea-ever-made-it-at-home-taste-the-same-without-the-sealed-top/495595 "2009-05-06T22:05:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boba-tea-ever-made-it-at-home-taste-the-same-without-the-sealed-top/495595/1 "2009-05-06T22:05:36Z")
I LOVE BOBA TEA!! And I have discovered I can buy the powder and tapioca balls on Ebay! But… is it the same? I noticed the last time I ordered Boba Tea! in chinatown that they put a scoop of brown goo that was unidentified into the blender (I only like blended boba tea!). It was light brown, and this was different than the powder (I only like Taro, which is lavender) and the tapioca balls. What the hell was it? Will my boba tea! at home be as good without it? And am I the only one who thinks that taro tea tastes kinda like a very mild chocolate? And is damned yummy? I LOVE BOBA TEA! And will it taste the same without the sealed plastic top, popped with a giant boba straw? And since I love Taro so much, I’ve never even tried the other flavors… what do you recommend? I LOVE BOBA TEA!!! (All references to Boba Tea! must be punctuated with an exclamation point. That’s the rule. You probably didn’t know that. But now you do. Boba tea!!) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boba-tea-ever-made-it-at-home-taste-the-same-without-the-sealed-top/495595/2 "2009-05-06T23:50:14Z")
Would you throw a party for it? And what would you call it? _Ducks and runs…_ ---
**Author:** ![I\_Am\_The\_Lorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19adc/32.png) [@I\_Am\_The\_Lorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Am_The_Lorax)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boba-tea-ever-made-it-at-home-taste-the-same-without-the-sealed-top/495595/3 "2009-05-06T23:55:30Z")
I’ve never heard of boba tea! I’ve heard of bubble tea, are they similar? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boba-tea-ever-made-it-at-home-taste-the-same-without-the-sealed-top/495595/4 "2009-05-07T00:20:12Z")
The tapioca balls are creepy! ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boba-tea-ever-made-it-at-home-taste-the-same-without-the-sealed-top/495595/5 "2009-05-07T01:11:45Z")
> [@I\_Am\_The\_Lorax](#): > > I’ve never heard of boba tea! I’ve heard of bubble tea, are they similar? 'zackly the same. Boba Tea! sounds cooler, though. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boba-tea-ever-made-it-at-home-taste-the-same-without-the-sealed-top/495595/6 "2009-05-07T01:13:16Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > The tapioca balls are creepy! Yes! But oddly satisfying as well. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boba-tea-ever-made-it-at-home-taste-the-same-without-the-sealed-top/495595/7 "2009-05-07T03:12:58Z")
I’ve made it at home from a kit, but it’s not as good as straight from a Pochi stand. The tapioca balls were dried, and took about 45 minutes of boiling to prepare. The powder mix lacked some flavor. It is probably the kit’s fault, as I can see ingredients making a big difference in flavor. Overall, it’s much easier just to drive down the road to the bubble shop (that’s open until midnight) 🙂 _shoots ball out of straw_ ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boba-tea-ever-made-it-at-home-taste-the-same-without-the-sealed-top/495595/8 "2009-05-07T03:14:53Z")
You can buy the components online, but making the tapioca balls was a pain in the neck when I tried it. I guess they turned out okay eventually, but it was a lot of soaking and fiddling. I’d probably not bother unless I was completely addicted to the stuff and couldn’t get it anywhere nearby. ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boba-tea-ever-made-it-at-home-taste-the-same-without-the-sealed-top/495595/9 "2009-05-07T06:27:10Z")
I’ve found that if the tapioca balls have microwave instructions on the bag, you should make them that way- it’s easier than on the stove top and if they’re a little bit too squishy they just need a few minutes out of the liquid to firm back up a bit. I always get almond milkshake with tapioca bubbles if I’m splurging and actually going out for boba, unless I’m at a place without almond milkshake: then I just get the clear red sort of raspberry, or mint tea. I’ve never been disappointed by the other flavors I’ve tried, but almond, raspberry, and mint tea are my favorites if I’m spending money on it.