I have absolutely no idea what boba tea is. I said it. I’ve seen it all over Instagram and TikTok and yes, it looks aesthetically pleasing, but it also looks like juice with marbles at the bottom. Turns out, boba tea refers to any drink that has those kind of chunky add-ins. Boba tea, bubble tea, and pearl milk tea, are essentially different names for the same thing. In the case of Bubbles Tea Company, located on South Court Street, they offer both milk and flavored teas. Milk teas include flavors like almond, chai, chocolate, coffee, honey and more. There are also flavored teas with fruitier flavor options like blueberry, kiwi, pineapple and more.
My first time trying bubble tea, I asked the girl working what the three most popular flavors are and what she recommended for a first-timer. She suggested chai, thai and passion fruit. Adding onto my already present lack of bubble tea knowledge, I have no idea what chai or thai are. Of course, they’re words I’ve overheard in line for Starbucks but never knew exactly what it was. Post-research, I know they’re both just different types of teas – what an absolute shocker.
It was only after I ordered and paid did I realize that because chai and thai are common in coffee, there was a good chance I wouldn’t like them. I do not drink coffee in any way shape or form, and the only time I go to Starbucks is when someone who doesn’t know me very well gives me a Starbucks gift card and I grab a green tea lemonade. I also don’t say no to a cake pop while I’m there.
The first drink I tasted was the passion fruit, and wow, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten anything with passion fruit before, but I’m definitely going to start. It was very smooth, tasting somewhat citrus/tropical-adjacent. Like the subtle cousin of a strawberry-mango hybrid. The big surprise, however, was the tiny little boba ball hitting me in the back of the throat. For boba first timers like me, my tip is small, gentle sips. My only thought is that when I’m getting a fruity drink, I prefer that it be a little more fruity. It was very good, and I would rate it an eight out of ten, but I would rather have a stronger flavor. Heck, my usual order at Pulp is strawberry extreme. I like the extreme!
Second, I tried the chai tea. My first and only thought is that it tastes like Christmas! I swear, I think they blended up sugar cookies and eggnog to make this. Why am I not wearing plaid pajamas and listening to the Charlie Brown Christmas album as I drink this? It was my absolute favorite, and it gets a 10 out of 10 rating.
Lastly, the thai tea. Again, I have no clue what thai tea is. Just like chai, it’s a mixture of tea, milk and sugar. Unlike chai, it sadly does not taste like Christmas. It was very bitter and not something I’ve continued to sip while I write this. I gave it a rating of five out of 10 and pushed it farther away from me on my desk.
All in all, from best to worst I rank them chai, the passion fruit, then thai. I’m planning to return to Bubbles and continue to make my way through their menu so I can self-proclaim to be a bubble tea expert.
Amanda Schnek is a senior studying communication at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Amanda? Tweet her @Schenk_amanda
