Owais Crawford
Boba, also known as bubble tea, is a tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan. It has gained popularity worldwide, including in the United States, where it is commonly referred to as boba. Boba is characterised by the addition of chewy tapioca pearls that provide a unique texture to the drink. While there is no information on whether boba is available inside the LAX airport, there are several notable boba shops in Los Angeles that are worth visiting. These include Moon Rabbit, Sunright Tea Studio, Band Baaja Boba, Boba Guys, Bubble U, Latea, Cha Redefine, and Odd One Out Tea. Each of these establishments offers a unique selection of traditional and innovative boba teas, showcasing the growing popularity and diversity of boba in Los Angeles.
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What You'll Learn
Best boba tea near LAX
There are several options for boba tea near LAX airport in Los Angeles. Here are some of the best spots to try:
UME
A solid bubble tea shop located in downtown El Segundo, UME is a small shop with a self-order kiosk. They offer a range of delicious drinks, including their signature madeleines, which are priced a bit higher but are worth the splurge. The shop is also praised for its real, delicious tea and great prices.
Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea
Yi Fang is beloved for its powerfully refreshing fruit teas and milk teas. They use fresh fruit for bright and vibrant flavors, with a selection of mango-based drinks such as the mango latte and mango smoothie. Their agar crystal boba adds a unique, earthy texture to their drinks. Yi Fang also offers a traditional Taiwanese green grape smoothie served with homemade whipped cream.
Feng Cha
Feng Cha is a relaxing tea destination with several locations across California and the U.S., including one in LA. They offer a range of satisfying tea options, from their signature crème brûlée dirty boba milk tea with torched cheese foam to their best-selling kiwi basil green tea.
Motto Tea Cafe
Located in Pasadena, Motto Tea Cafe offers a unique experience with their mochi puree and taro puree options, which can be added to drinks like the yuzu jasmine green milk tea. They also serve Japanese souffle pancakes, known for their fluffiness.
Boba Guys
Boba Guys is a popular bubble tea shop with a loyal following. They are known for their fresh, made-to-order drinks and fruit slushies. While they may not offer the classic popcorn chicken, their boba teas are of exceptional quality.
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Boba tea in Downtown LA
While I wasn't able to find any information on whether there is boba tea available at LAX Airport, there are plenty of options for boba tea in Downtown LA.
Podong Seoul, for example, specializes in Korean-inspired boba drinks, such as honey chestnut, sweet potato, and Yakult flavours. They also offer aloe jelly, coconut lychee, and boba as toppings, and have oat and almond milk alternatives. Cha Redefine, which has a location in Downtown LA, focuses on brewing traditional teas with local ingredients to create unique drink and flavour combinations. They also make coffee drinks like lattes and cappuccinos with tea instead of coffee. Odd One Out Tea is another option. This Taiwanese tea house specializes in small-batch boba and award-winning teas, using high-quality leaves grown by local farmers in Taiwan. They also offer silk boba, made with a blend of tapioca and konjac, for a uniquely silky texture.
There are also many well-reviewed boba shops in Los Angeles more generally. Boba Guys, for instance, is described as having "solid bubble tea" and "delicious madeleines." UME is also recommended, with one reviewer saying it's "hard to find good boba tea places outside of SF & OC and UME is one of them."
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History of boba tea
The history of boba tea, also known as bubble tea, dates back to the early 1980s in Taiwan. Two tea houses in particular, the Hanlin Tea Room in Tainan and the Chun Shui Tang Tea Room in Taichung, have been credited with pioneering the concept.
The Hanlin Tea Room's owner, Tu Tsong-He, claimed that he drew inspiration from the white tapioca balls sold at the Ah-bó-liâu local market. He began experimenting with these tapioca pearls, first mixing them into tea to create "pearl tea". He then progressed to adding larger, black tapioca balls to milk tea, resulting in a richer flavour and chewy texture. Recognising that his customers had to scoop the tapioca balls out with a spoon, Tsong-He collaborated with a plastic factory to develop the now-ubiquitous "boba straw", wide enough to allow the pearls to be sipped up easily.
The Chun Shui Tang Tea Room, on the other hand, tells a slightly different story. Its founder, Liu Han-Chieh, was inspired to serve cold teas after a trip to Japan. This innovation proved successful, leading to the establishment of several tea rooms. One day, an employee poured tapioca balls into her tea, and the rest of the staff enjoyed it so much that it was added to the menu, quickly becoming their top-selling item.
Regardless of its exact origins, bubble tea took off from Taiwan, spreading to other countries with significant East Asian populations. Over time, it evolved into a diverse range of flavours and varieties, including blended tea drinks with ice cream or fruit smoothies, and inspired spin-off snacks like bubble tea ice cream and candy.
By the early 2010s, major boba tea brands like Coco and Gong Cha had begun their expansion into the US market. However, it was the 2013 viral "Bobalife" song on YouTube that truly propelled boba into the American mainstream. The drink's popularity, particularly among younger demographics, can be attributed to its sweet taste, the fun experience of "eating your drink", and its appeal as a caffeine-free alternative to coffee.
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How boba tea is made
Boba tea, also known as bubble tea, pearl milk tea, or tapioca milk tea, is a tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s. It has since spread worldwide, especially in regions with a large East Asian diaspora population. Boba tea typically contains chewy tapioca balls, milk, and flavouring. The tapioca pearls are made from tapioca starch and are usually flavourless on their own but are sweetened with the addition of sugar. The traditional preparation method involves mixing the ingredients (sugar, powders, and flavourings) with a bubble tea shaker cup by hand, but modern shops often use a shaker machine instead. Boba tea can be served in a glass or a plastic cup, with the latter being more common. Taiwanese shops typically use a machine to seal the cup with heated plastic cellophane, allowing the drink to be shaken and spill-free until the customer is ready to drink it. The cellophane is then pierced with an oversized straw, known as a boba straw, to accommodate the toppings.
There are two main categories of boba tea: teas without milk and milk teas. Both varieties offer a choice of black, green, or oolong tea as the base. Green tea, for instance, is brewed at a lower temperature of 176–185 °F (80–85 °C) for 8–10 minutes, while black tea requires hotter water (around 203–212 °F or 95–100 °C) and a longer brewing time of 15–20 minutes. Boba tea can also be made with other toppings besides tapioca pearls, such as grass jelly, aloe vera, red bean, or popping boba. Popping boba is made using a spherification process that involves a reaction between sodium alginate and calcium chloride or calcium lactate, resulting in fruit juice-filled "bubbles" that burst when bitten into. Boba tea is typically served cold, and most shops will not sell it after 24 hours as the pearls tend to harden and lose their chewiness.
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Different types of boba tea
Boba tea, also known as bubble tea, has become an international phenomenon with thousands of variations available in the market. The basic recipe includes blending fruit, milk, tea, and bubbles, which are shaken and served on ice. The liquid base can be milk tea, which is the most popular, or green tea, the second most popular. The milk tea base is made by steeping black tea, cooling it down, and then combining it with milk. The green tea base is simply steeped green tea that has been cooled down and usually does not include milk.
The original bubble tea flavour is black tea, milk, sugar, and tapioca pearls. However, the two most popular varieties are pearl black milk tea and pearl green milk tea. The pearls, or boba, are usually tapioca pearls, which are tiny, rounded globules of chewy tapioca starch with almost no flavour. The pearls vary in colour, from white to pastel to the typical purplish-black, depending on the ingredients mixed in with the tapioca.
There are several alternatives to tapioca pearls, such as jelly cubes, which can be sweet or herbal and complement green tea or fruity drinks. Taro balls, made from the taro plant, can be added to taro root bubble tea or other drinks. Sweet potato balls, made from orange sweet potatoes, are another option for chewy balls. Popping boba are tapioca pearls with a twist—they pop in your mouth and add a burst of flavour. Pudding, such as egg pudding or custard, can also be added to boba tea for a delectable, creamy texture.
Bubble tea can also be made with fresh fruit, such as peaches, mangos, coconut, honeydew, and other fruits blended into a tea and served over ice. Fruit-flavoured teas are often made with powder but can also be made with fresh fruit for a healthier option. Watermelon bubble tea is a popular Asian-inspired concoction, and other fruity flavours include strawberry, passionfruit, and mango. Thai tea is another variation of the original black tea boba drink, with the addition of orange or yellow food colouring and spices. It can be sweetened with any type of milk, including condensed milk.
Bubble tea can also be served with ice cream or cheese cream, a sweet, salty, and savoury cream made with cheese powder. Boba tea is typically served cold and filled with tasty toppings that vary in texture and flavour.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there are several options for boba tea at LAX airport. Odd One Out Tea is a Taiwanese tea house that specializes in small-batch boba and award-winning teas. There are also a number of good options for boba tea near the airport, including Boba Guys in Historic Filipinotown and UME in downtown El Segundo.
Boba tea, also known as bubble tea, is a drink that originated in Taiwan. It typically consists of tea, milk, and chewy tapioca pearls. The pearls are sucked up through an oversized straw and provide a fun, gummy texture to the drink.
Popular boba tea flavors include Thai tea, taro milk tea, matcha milk tea, and brown sugar milk. Some shops also offer unique flavors such as Sea Salt Coconut (jasmine green, brown sugar, coconut milk, sea salt, and coconut cream) and Lychee Strawberry Milk Tea.
