From Bubble Tea to Loose Leaf: Where Should a Milk Tea Lover Start?
Short answer
Start with the tea that's already in your favourite milk tea. If you like jasmine milk tea, try jasmine green tea on its own; if you like roasted or "oolong" milk tea, try a roasted oolong such as Da Hong Pao; if you like classic black milk tea, try a good black tea. Then move to brewing loose leaf in short infusions (gongfu style) to taste how one tea changes from cup to cup.
By D² Tea Lab, Burnaby · Updated
Bubble tea is many people's first tea, and a very good introduction to Chinese and Taiwanese teas, because every cup starts with one.
A little history
Bubble tea (pearl milk tea, boba) comes from Taiwan in the 1980s. Exactly who invented it is still argued over. Hanlin Tea Room in Tainan says its founder created it in 1986; Chun Shui Tang in Taichung says one of its staff created it in 1987. The two went to court, and because neither held a patent, the drink spread across Taiwan by the mid-1990s and then around the world.
The classic base was black tea, often Assam. Jasmine green tea, oolong and Tieguanyin quickly became popular alternatives.
Step 1: find the tea in your usual order
Your current favourite is a clue to which tea you'll enjoy on its own.
| If you usually order… | The tea inside is often… | Try next |
|---|---|---|
| Classic milk tea / black milk tea | Black tea (often Assam or Ceylon) | A Ceylon or Chinese black tea, hot, no milk |
| Jasmine milk tea or jasmine fruit tea | Jasmine green tea | Jasmine green tea, brewed not too hot |
| Oolong or "roasted" milk tea | Roasted oolong | Da Hong Pao or another Wuyi rock oolong |
| Peach or osmanthus oolong drinks | Scented or flavoured oolong | A scented osmanthus oolong |
| Matcha latte | Powdered green tea | Matcha whisked with water |
Step 2: taste it plain, once
Order or brew the same tea without milk or sugar, just once, to learn what the tea brings to the drink you already like. Most people are surprised how sweet a good oolong or jasmine tea tastes on its own.
Step 3: try loose leaf, brewed short
Teabags and large pots give you one cup of one strength. Loose leaf brewed gongfu style (more leaf, less water, many short infusions) shows you how a tea changes: the first cup bright and aromatic, the middle cups fullest, the last ones soft and sweet.
You don't need special teaware. A small teapot, a lidded bowl (gaiwan) or even a mug with a strainer works. (See What are the steps of Chaozhou gongfu tea? for the traditional version, and Should you rinse tea before brewing?.)
Step 4: compare two teas side by side
Comparing teas is the fastest way to develop a palate. Good first pairs:
- Jasmine green tea vs a floral dancong oolong: two kinds of floral, one added, one natural. (See What are the Phoenix Dancong aroma types?)
- A green, lightly oxidised oolong vs a roasted oolong: the effect of roasting.
- Scented osmanthus oolong vs an osmanthus-aroma dancong: see Is osmanthus oolong a scented tea or a dancong aroma?
Why roasted oolong works so well with milk
This is our own opinion from tasting, not established science, and we haven't found rigorous research on it. In our experience, a roasted oolong's toasty, caramel-like depth carries through milk, where a very delicate green tea can disappear. It's why we build our Roasted Oolong Tea Latte on Da Hong Pao, and why roasted-oolong drinkers often love it plain too.
Where to start at D²
Every drink on our menu names the tea it's built on, so it's an easy place to experiment:
- Like jasmine? Try our Jasmine Green Tea next to the Jasmine Green Tea Latte.
- Like roasty flavours? Start with the Roasted Oolong Tea Latte.
- Curious about osmanthus? We serve Osmanthus Oolong as a pure tea, cold-brewed or hot.
Tell us what you usually drink, and we'll suggest the tea to try next.
Sources
- Taipei Times, "Who invented bubble tea?", 2018-11-13: taipeitimes.com
- Goldthread, "Who invented bubble tea?": goldthread2.com
- Chun Shui Tang, bubble tea: chunshuitang.com.tw