What Do Foreigners Call 'Milk Tea'?

It is said that the limited release of AJ sneakers

is not the only thing causing long lines among young people on both coasts of the United States

but also CoCo’s bubble tea.

In Chinese, it is called 奶茶 (nǎichá)

but in English, it is not as simple as directly translating it to “milk tea”.

How to Say ‘奶茶’ in English?

If you simply say milk tea,

foreigners will understand you,

but milk tea more commonly refers to the British-style tea with milk.

(This is where milk is poured directly into the tea, often accompanied by snacks~)

However, the internationally recognized term for bubble tea, like that from CoCo which includes pearls and other ingredients, is bubble tea.

bubble [ bʌb(ə)l] n. bubble, foam

(Because there is a layer of dense “bubbles” on top of the milk tea)

In areas with a large Chinese population,

such as the San Francisco Bay Area on the West Coast of the United States,

the transliteration of 波霸 (boba) is directly used, boba tea.

Popular Names for Milk Tea

boba tea 波霸茶

bubble tea 泡泡茶

foam milk tea 泡沫奶茶

pearl tea 珍珠奶茶

tapioca tea 珍珠奶茶

(The pearls are made from tapioca flour)

Example Sentences:

Boba tea is a variety of tea containing balls of pearl tapioca, originating in Taiwan in the 1980s.

波霸奶茶是含有木薯球的茶类，起源于20世纪80年代的台湾。

I want a cup of bubble tea.

我要一杯珍珠奶茶。

How to Order Milk Tea in English?

Bubble tea generally includes four elements: base tea, milk, toppings, and flavoring.

【Common Base Teas】

black tea 红茶

green tea 绿茶

white tea 白茶

blended tea 调味茶

【Common Toppings】

small tapioca balls 粉圆

tapioca balls 波霸

pudding 布丁

grass jelly 仙草

taro 芋头

red bean 红豆, scientific name azuki bean

green bean 绿豆, scientific name mung bean

sago 西米

popping boba 爆爆珍珠 (which are pearls filled with filling)

coconut jelly 椰果, nata de coco

pulp 果肉

milk cap 奶盖, cheese foam, milk foam

【About Flavoring】

Half sugar 半糖

Sugar free 无糖

No ice 去冰