Is Boba Vegan? Everything You Need to Know
– Boba must not contain milk or any other animal products to be considered vegan.
– Most boba pearls are made of entirely plant-based ingredients.
– The sweet tea surrounding the boba pearls may not be vegan-friendly.
– Boba originated from Taiwan in the 1980s and is also known as bubble tea, pearl milk tea, bubble milk tea, and tapioca milk tea.
– Boba tea usually consists of tea, sweetened condensed cow’s milk, and boba pearls.
– Boba quickly spread to the west and is served with plastic straws to suck up the boba pearls and sweet tea.
– Additional vegan toppings for boba can include white coconut gel, fruit jellies, and sweet bean paste.
– Some boba varieties may contain non-vegan ingredients like caramel and honey, so it’s important to check with the server when ordering.
– The most common boba teas use non-vegan dairy milk, but it can be made vegan by using dairy-free milk.
– Non-vegan egg pudding may also appear as a boba topping, so vegans should be cautious.
– Cassava farming, the source of boba pearls, can cause environmental damage, and restoring traditional intercropping systems can help balance environmental wellbeing.
– Black pearl boba is generally vegan-friendly, but some variations may contain non-vegan caramel or brown sugar.
– Golden boba may or may not be vegan, depending on whether it contains non-vegan honey as a sweetener.
– Popping boba is made from seaweed extract and a liquid fruit juice, and it bursts with flavor when bitten into.
– White pearl boba is made from konjac and can be flavored with vegan chamomile root or non-vegan caramel.