Boba Milk Tea

[foodielife123]

Hi all, I am in China now and drinking a lot of Boba Milk Tea. I know the Boba is very unhealthy and starchy, but was wondering how healthy the milk tea only is? I get reduced sugar but have not seen any nutrition information or ingredients. Thanks so much!

[Wurstmann]

Depends on the store. There are some where it's just tea with milk and no extra stuff.

[abcdefg]

The shops here on the China Mainland usually offer flavoring ingredients in addition to the tapioca "pearls." 珍珠奶茶。 These flavoring ingredients typically have a fruit jelly component. A high-fructose sweetening syrup is usually added to the mix.

 

Nothing terrible about those ingredients when compared with a Coca Cola. Don't worry about it unless you have a medical condition that makes them problematic. Just order them in moderation; that is the Confucian way.

 

If you live in the South of China, don't forget to try fruit smoothies as well sometimes. Delicious, and maybe a bit more healthy. I can buy mango ones or strawberry ones here in Kunming for 8 to 10 Yuan. Banana usually costs slightly less.

 

One can also get plain blended watermelon in a glass that is tasty and refreshing for 5 Yuan. Or for the same price I can get a glass of orange juice with nothing but the fruit, squeezed by hand while I wait.

[ChTTay]

The majority of milk tea made in China is just powered stuff. There won't be any actual tea in it,l and sometimes it's just made with water, not milk. This stuff is just all flavourings, chemicals etc. All of the cheaper milk tea you get in those small booths/stores will be made this way. A few cafes in Beijing make it with real tea but they also use evaporated milk, full cream milk and sometimes sweetened condensed milk.

I'd probably get your fill if you're travelling but this stuff isn't good for you.

[Alex_Hart]

Would second prior comments, but press the difference between good milk tea and the utterly terrible artificial stuff. Both in Chengdu and in my nearby Chinatown, the majority of milk tea stands hawk the rather gross powdered stuff, with artificial bobas that range from insanely chewy to grainy but share the trait of being far too sugary. However, you could find far better stands in both places that make their tea with real tea and use lightly sweetened bobas. Certainly agree with ChTTay that it still isn't healthy, but at least it tastes good. 

[ChTTay]

Yeah, I like Chinese / HK style milk tea as it is here but just don't guzzle it down every day haha

It was interesting in HK when I ordered the "HK milk tea" hot they often seemed to leave it unsweetened and you could add how much you wanted. This was a lot better.

[abcdefg]

OP -- I can tell you how to make your own. It's pretty simple.

[Alex_Hart]

@ChTTay Agreed! I find it rather odd that so few places do this for milk tea. If I walk into a place with four people, I imagine all four of us will have vastly different definitions of sweet. If they're using condensed milk, it doesn't seem it would be that difficult to just leave it out so people could add their own. 

 

@abcd: Your next food post? 

[abcdefg]

@abcd: Your next food post?

 

Haha! Coming up before long. I made a real good Chinese-style, slow-cooked chicken soup a couple weeks ago, but didn't think to take photos until it was nearly finished. It's one of those simple things that 奶奶 or 外婆 used to make when one was small. But very tasty and nourishing; although not entirely intuitive in its method. Before long, I promise. Thanks for the reminder!

 

Was also thinking about writing up a Yunnan-style "fish in broth" recipe that I like to make, using one of the 清汤鱼 methods that are popular here, but seldom seen in the US. Simple and quite good if one likes fish.

 

Last weekend I tried a different way of making the snow pears with rock sugar "medicinal" desert previously described. Came out well. Will put up those pictures in a minute or two.

 

Done -- Here's the link: http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/51906-chinese-medicine-that-tastes-good-%E5%86%B0%E7%B3%96%E7%82%96%E9%9B%AA%E6%A2%A8/?p=400058

 

As to the milk tea, was recently in Bangkok and my (Chinese) travel companion ordered it with meals several times in small restaurants. They offered a choice of green tea or red (black) tea and served with a small cup of simple syrup on the side so that it could be sweetened to taste at the table. One could have it either hot or cold. Seemed very sensible.