There are many beverages nowadays that differ from your average coffee. Think about when you are in a grocery store in the drink section – the number of different caffeinated drink options are endless! From cold brew coffee to Red Bulls, how does something like boba milk tea compare? Does boba tea have caffeine? We’ll take a closer look in this article.
Though it depends on the type of tea, the average boba milk tea will have 100-160 mg of caffeine.
What is Boba Milk Tea?
Milk tea is a beverage that originated in Taiwan. It is a tea-based beverage that is generally mixed with either a powder or slush, and milk. The flavors range from popular fruit choices to regular black or green tea. Boba milk tea got its name from being mostly made of milk. The “boba” is a starch-based ball that has a jelly-like outer layer and falls to the bottom of your milk tea drink. You’ll recognize people with boba milk teas drinking them out of big plastic cups with large straws and black balls towards the bottom.
Does Boba Milk Tea Have Caffeine?
Yes, but that depends. Boba milk tea contains varying levels of caffeine depending on the type of milk tea that’s used. It consists of green or black teas as its base, and tea contains caffeine. The amount of caffeine depends on which tea you choose (i.e., black, green, oolong, or no tea). In general, it has between 100-160 mg of caffeine. Also, you can get a milk boba drink with coffee instead of tea, in which the caffeine content would be higher.
Levels of Caffeine in Comparison
If you review the levels of caffeine across different beverages, boba milk tea can have quite a high level of caffeine. Whether you drink black milk boba tea, bubble tea with only fruit, etc., the levels of caffeine you consume will be very different.
In comparison with a regular coffee, a normal cup of tea, or energy drinks, you can see from the table below where boba milk tea lands in comparison with other drinks.
| Type of Beverage | Level of Caffeine/cup |
| Coffee | 95mg |
| Tea | 26mg |
| Boba Milk Tea | 100-160mg |
| Energy Drinks | 200mg |
Final Thoughts
There are several different types of boba milk tea that you can enjoy. Depending on the type of milk tea you choose, the level of caffeine will vary. A regular milk tea that contains boba (tapioca balls) is usually made with black tea. You can request it be made with green tea, or no tea at all.
Boba milk tea has changed a lot over the years with additions of fruit, jellies, popping boba fruit balls, slushies, and more. It has moved its way into the Western world and has expanded in terms of ingredients so much in the past decade. The only sure way you’ll get a decent dose of caffeine will be when you order a black or green milk tea.
Featured Image Credit: gowithstock, Shutterstock
