Thai Tea vs Boba: What’s the Difference?

Thai tea and boba are not the same thing, but they often end up in the same cup. Thai tea (cha yen) is a drink: strong black tea, sweetened with sugar and condensed milk and poured over ice. Boba are chewy tapioca pearls, and the word is also used for bubble tea, the Taiwanese style of drink they are served in. "Thai tea boba" is simply Thai milk tea with tapioca pearls added, one of the most popular bubble-tea flavors. Here is how they differ.

What is the difference between Thai tea and boba?

What is Thai tea?

Thai tea, or cha yen, is black tea brewed at roughly double strength, sweetened while hot, poured over ice and finished with sweetened condensed milk and a float of evaporated milk. It tastes sweet, creamy and caramel-rich over a malty tea base. Café versions are often bright orange from food coloring in commercial Thai tea mixes; brewed from plain leaf it is amber-tan. Our Thai iced tea recipe has the full method.

What is boba?

Boba are chewy pearls made from tapioca starch, which comes from the cassava root. They are boiled and then soaked in a brown-sugar or sugar syrup, which gives the classic black pearls their dark caramel color. The word is also used for the whole drink: bubble tea, or pearl milk tea, which began in Taiwan in the 1980s. Two Taiwanese teahouses, one in Taichung and one in Tainan, both claim to have served it first. In the United States, "boba" is the more common name on the West Coast and "bubble tea" on the East Coast. Bubble tea is usually shaken with ice and drunk through a wide straw, so the pearls come up with each sip. Not every topping is tapioca: popping boba are thin, juice-filled spheres, and many shops also offer jellies.

What is Thai tea boba?

Thai tea boba is Thai milk tea served bubble-tea style, with tapioca pearls in the bottom of the cup, and it is one of the most widely offered bubble-tea flavors. Many shops build it from a Thai tea mix or strongly brewed tea with creamer or condensed milk, so it is usually sweet and creamy, and often the bright orange of the mix. Compared with a traditional cha yen, poured over crushed ice with a float of evaporated milk, the boba version is shaken, served with a wide straw, and adds the chewy texture and extra sweetness of the pearls.

Does adding boba change the calories?

Yes, noticeably. Most of the calories in Thai tea come from the condensed milk and sugar: a 16 fl oz restaurant-style Thai iced tea is about 250–400 calories, while the brewed tea itself has only 2–5. A bubble-tea-shop Thai milk tea of the same size with full sugar and no toppings is about 300–450, and adding tapioca pearls brings it to about 400–600, because the pearls add roughly 100–150 calories on their own. Ordering at reduced sugar trims the syrup, but the condensed milk still counts. Our guide to calories in Thai milk tea has the full table.

Which has more caffeine?

The caffeine comes from the tea, not the pearls, so Thai tea and Thai tea boba made with the same tea are similar: roughly 30–70 mg per 8 fl oz brewed from loose leaf, and more in a large glass brewed double-strength. Our Thai tea caffeine guide has the numbers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Thai tea the same as boba?

No. Thai tea is a drink made from strong black tea, sugar and condensed milk. Boba are chewy tapioca pearls, and the word is also used for bubble tea. Thai tea boba is Thai milk tea with pearls added.

What is Thai tea boba?

It is Thai milk tea served bubble-tea style, with chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom of the cup and a wide straw. It is one of the most popular bubble-tea flavors.

What are boba pearls made of?

Classic boba pearls are made from tapioca starch, which comes from the cassava root, cooked and soaked in a brown-sugar or sugar syrup. Popping boba are different: juice-filled spheres with a thin gel skin.

Does boba add calories to Thai tea?

Yes. Tapioca pearls add roughly 100 to 150 calories, so a 16 fl oz Thai milk tea with boba is about 400 to 600 calories, compared with about 250 to 400 without.

Can you make Thai tea boba at home?

Yes. Brew strong Thai tea, sweeten it and chill it, add milk, then spoon cooked tapioca pearls into the glass and serve with a wide straw.

For the tea-forward base, our Assam Thai tea leaves are 100% loose black tea with nothing added, the traditional base for cha yen and Thai milk tea.