When it comes to bubble tea, we happily join the ranks of the obsessed (bubble tea cough syrup, anyone?). So naturally, our curiosity led to us scouring places where our fellow bubble tea fanatics reside to hunt down unconventional food and dessert creations inspired by the classic milk tea-and-pearls concoction.
From pizza and popcorn to buns and, uh, hotpot, here are all the strange tributes to bubble tea that we rummaged up.
Bread buns
Fancy a little carb-on-carb action? Oozing tea cream that’s studded with gelatinous nubs, these buns are a chewy treat if you’re ever craving bubble tea in bread form.
Cakes
Cakes that drip sublime bubble tea goodness? Sign us up, please. We’ll just be here, dreaming of tea-infused chiffon, milk tea buttercream, and tapioca pearls luxuriating in brown sugar syrup.
Hot pot
Apparently, more than one restaurant thought it’d be a good idea to use milk tea as a base for hot pot, so now you can eat your fill of meats, veggies, and what looks like sweet snacks floating around in bubble tea broth.
Pancakes
Whoever thought that bubble tea would look good as a pancake was probably sipping on a cuppa during brunch when the idea struck. So here they are, stacks of fluffed up brunch grub lounging under globs of tea cream and a sprinkle of pearls.
Pizzas
When you crave both bubble tea and pizza at the same time, yet you’re unwilling to digest the extra calories, this cheesy creation sure comes in handy. We think.
Popcorn
Put a pep in your step with crunchy kernels coated in milk tea — you can easily pop a dozen of them in your mouth while chillin’ on your couch, or wash them down with your drink of choice: milk tea and pearls, obviously.
Swiss rolls
Not wanting to be left out, the standard Swiss roll gets the bubble tea treatment too, with milk tea cream, tea-infused sponge, and loads of pearls hiding in the folds to give your jaw a workout.
Tarts
Forget the common chocolate or fruit tart. Boba ones are baked with milk tea custard and topped with a cluster of tapioca orbs — ideal for anyone who’s ever thought bubble tea should be considered a dessert instead of a drink.
Toast
Yep, you’re looking at crispy toasted bread crammed with tapioca spheres, swimming in generous drizzles of sweet sauces. It’s gooey, and it’s glorious — but only if you’re a bubble tea fan. Although the same could be said of everything on this list, really.
Bonus: Jewelry
You know the bubble tea craze has gotten out of hand when people start wearing their addiction as accessories.
