This article will cover which is better, hot or cold boba; and hot or cold boba beverages. Many individuals feel one way or the other about hot or cold boba but some actually don’t have a preference. However, if they are asked, many will reply and say that they prefer most likely one over the other.
The good news is that most individuals do not mind boba drinks being hot or cold as much as they do the taste and texture of the boba. However, there are some who do, and will frequently request hot beverages. These individuals are most likely asking because there is a certain hot beverage that they like, that they would like to put boba in.
Do you drink milk tea hot or cold?
When it comes to milk tea boba drinks, there is actually a mix of opinions on whether people prefer drinking hot or cold milk teas. The tea is one of the main ingredients in the milk tea that a lot of individuals were concerned about drinking hot or cold.
Cold Milk Tea
There was no argument really on whether the tea tasted better cold. Many agreed that it was favored cold, because it was easier to taste some of the flavors (and it tasted sweeter) when the milk tea was cold.
One individual even had a hot version of a milk tea flavor from a boba shop that they made cold and iced at home. They said it tasted better cold, but didn’t like the hot version, which was the reason they created it at home cold to begin with.
The individuals that preferred cold milk tea over hot milk tea all had one thing in common to say about cold milk tea drinks. They like them, because it was easier to taste the sweet flavors in the milk tea. They did not like the hot milk tea drinks as much, because they couldn’t taste the sweetness as much.
Hot/Warm Milk Tea
Hot or warm milk teas were preferred as better to drink by individuals that did not like their milk teas too sweet, and preferred less sugars. They loved the hot boba drinks more, because it brought out the natural flavors of the tea and milk more.
They wanted flavoring in their milk teas just like the individuals that preferred their drinks cold, but they didn’t want all the sweetness from the sugars.
So the verdict is that milk teas should be consumed cold when you like sweet milk teas, and hot when you like the natural taste of the tea and milk more, without all the sugar.
Is boba tea supposed to be cold?
Boba tea doesn’t have to be cold, but since tea is usually enjoyed as an iced tea, certain individuals would probably prefer their boba tea cold or iced. If it is a boba fruit tea, then it definitely should be cold, since juice is usually served in a glass cold with ice.
This will also compliment the popping boba or boba jellies that are usually combined with fruit boba teas. They are predominantly made out of fruit flavors too. Any bubble tea drinks that are predominantly made out of tea, should probably be served cold too.
The only exception would be for boba drinks with herbal teas and no sugars, which would be enjoyed better if they were hot or warm.
Can you drink boba cold?
Drinking boba cold is definitely an option if you prefer the flavor of the boba drink, over the boba itself. Bubble tea pearls don’t do so well when they are kept in cold for too long. They can become hard and lose their chewiness very quickly when placed in cold drinks; so most people prefer boba drinks warm/hot for this reason.
However, drinking bubble tea drinks with ice is not an unfamiliar thing to do. Many boba shops still serve their boba drinks cold. Many individuals are still satisfied with drinking their boba cold. Cold bubble tea drinks are actually preferred over hot bubble tea drinks, because they can be consumed in any season.
Of course, there are bubble tea drinks that are naturally made cold too, like boba smoothies, and boba slushes for example. Bubble tea icecream is also a thing too.
However, many individuals that drink boba for the boba pearls often do not like their boba drinks cold. Cold boba in icecream for example, can be too starchy, resulting in boba that is really chewy in a bad way. It is not consistent with the soft and easily chewable texture of warm/hot boba. People often complain about hard boba when it is placed in iced drinks.
Can you drink boba hot?
Yes, boba can certainly be consumed when it is hot. Boba pearls are already kept warm at all times before they are served anyways in boba shops, even if they are going to be used to make an iced bubble tea. Many individuals that love the boba pearls more than anything in their drink, have said that the boba is better when you drink it hot.
Since the boba pearls are already kept warm, they fit hot boba drinks really well. The only thing is that the boba can possibly become gooey or more squishy slowly over time if the drink is too hot. However the texture of the boba will not go bad as fast as it would if it was placed in an iced drink.
This is because the boba is already used to being hot, not cold. The texture of the boba will get more chewy in hotter drinks, and eventually dissolve if left too long, but the drink will be cooled before that can happen. Some people actually prefer their boba extra chewy/squishy.
Popping pearls are still preferred better in cold drinks, since they can dissolve faster and become like liquid in hot drinks. It depends on how hot the drink is.
My personal experience with hot boba pearls has actually been good. No matter what heating method used (even air frying bubble tea pearls), the extra squishy boba has been a plus. Most people also agree that boba is just simply better when it is hot.
Even when people try their boba in cold drinks and desserts, they may like the drink/dessert, but will often say that the boba would have been better if it wasn’t so cold. The squishy texture of the boba, even when it is really squishy, is still better than the hard texture in the middle of boba that happens after it becomes too cold.
The good thing is that the drinkable temperature of boba drinks, whether really hot or cold, do not have a large effect on good quality boba. The bad news is that it does on low quality boba that cooks fast, like instant 5 minute, instant 10 minute, or reheated boba pearls.
