I wasn’t always a fan of bubble tea. As someone who didn’t like milk, tea, or pearls (the texture stressed me out), I did not see the appeal. After moving to Ontario and witnessing the abundance of boba shops, I started drinking fruit tea, and I eventually grew to love the drink. My go-to order is a passion fruit green tea with pearls and lychee jelly, 30% sugar, and less ice.
The other day I was scrolling on TikTok and saw @moneysigneric eating boba toast. I was simultaneously intrigued and weirded out, which led me down a rabbit hole of unique boba food creations. After scouring the web, here are five weird (or genius?) boba dishes!
1. Boba Pizza
Photo: @lnachman32 on Twitter
In Taiwan, Domino’s started selling “Brown Sugar Boba” pizzas. It’s a cheese pizza topped with black pearls, white mochi balls, and honey. One of these pies will cost you TWD$199 ($8.98 CAD).
2. Boba Croissants
Photo: Hidden Gems
Bubble Tea + Croissant = Bubble Tea Croissants. These croissants are filled with milk tea cream and black pearls! Would you try this?
3. Boba Ramen
Photo: Sora News 24
Has Japan’s love of boba gone too far?
Although the broth looks like 100% milk tea, it is a combination of Earl Grey tea extract and Tsukemen broth, along with pearls! The ramen noodles are paired with cucumber and steamed chicken, seasoned in a green onion marinade. According to food critics, the broth is used as a dipping sauce to coat the noodles, and the texture of the noodles and pearls complement each other nicely.
4. Boba Omelette
Photo: Says.com
Yes, a boba omelette. An interesting dish for sure, this omelette is very simple with only two ingredients: eggs and pearls.
5. Boba Toast
Photo: @stormscape on Instagram
Last but not least, boba toast! Originating from Taiwanese night markets, this craze has moved to Singapore, the United States, and various other countries. This creation consists of crispy bread stuffed with chewy tapioca pearls, drizzled with a plethora of sweet sauces.
That wraps up the weirdest boba dishes! Who knew this many variations of the popular drink existed? Which one would you try?