Have you ever strolled into a bubble tea shop and seen Panda milk tea on the menu? If so, it may have caused you to wonder what exactly is Panda milk tea, and how is it different from any other bubble tea out there. That’s a great question! In this post, we’ll explore all you need to know about this curious drink, along with the reason it’s called “panda tea” in the first place.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Panda Milk Tea?
- Panda Milk Tea Benefits
- Panda Milk Tea Flavor
- Panda Milk Tea Calories
- Panda Milk Tea Recipe
- Panda Milk Tea: Creamy, Delicious, and Simpy to Make at Home!
- FAQs
What Is a Panda Milk Tea?
Most people agree that Panda milk tea can’t exactly be defined as one standard thing. Many Panda teas are made using varying essences and flavors, however, the base often remains the same.
What Is in Panda Tea?
Usually, a panda tea will have milk (often in the form of sweetened condensed milk) along with black tea. It is then essenced with a variety of flavors including taro (a popular root vegetable), honeydew melon, or even lavender.
Why Is It Called Panda Milk Tea?
Lastly, the drink is topped with black and white pearls (aka tapioca balls). It is likely these black and white tapioca pearls that earn Panda tea its name. When seeing the two colors side by side, it certainly evokes the image of cute and cuddly pandas!
And the drink tastes awesome, to boot!
Panda Milk Tea Benefits
There are a few benefits of drinking panda milk tea. However, the health benefits will vary depending on the ingredients within the drink.
Because panda milk tea is usually comprised of black or green tea, you can expect to reap the benefits of these tea drinks within your panda tea. For example, black tea boasts of being able to lower both blood pressure levels and bad LDL cholesterol. If your panda milk tea is made from green tea, you can expect improved brain function, a boost of antioxidants, and so much more.
It is important to understand that though there are purported health benefits that one can experience from drinking Panda milk tea, it is also true that this tea often serves as a dessert and is very high in sugar. So although it may do much to satisfy your sweet tooth, it won’t necessarily do a great job in helping you shed weight.
Panda Milk Tea Flavor
The Panda milk tea taste has a milky and sweet flavor. This is the result of black or green tea being combined with silky milk. On top of this, tapioca pearls are added, and these bring a sweetness of their own.
Panda milk tea can range from being very sweet to having just a hint of sweetness. It really depends on who makes it and what is added. Specialty shops like T4, Coco, Gong Cha, Panda Express, and Quickly are all known to carry this type of tea. So, be sure to stop in and give them a try to see what you think!
Note: The drink availability at the aforementioned shops are subject to change. Always be sure to phone your local beverage establishment to ensure they’ve got Panda milk tea in stock before making a special trip to grab some!
Panda Milk Tea Calories
Panda milk tea can have anywhere from 300-500 calories in a single serving (or one cup). Of course, the larger your panda milk tea, the more calories it will have.
Panda Milk Tea Recipe
If you’re wondering what is in Panda milk tea or just want an awesome panda tea recipe to try at home, check out the following steps to get started!
Ingredients
- 1 cup black tea (you can also use green tea)
- ½ cup black tapioca pearls
- ½ cup white tapioca pearls
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk but feel free to use whichever milk works best for you!)
- ice cubes (for serving)
How To Make Panda Milk Tea
- To make Panda milk tea, first, boil a cup of water.
- To the boiled water, add either 2 tsp of loose leaf black tea or use one tea bag.
- Steep the tea for 2-3 minutes before removing the bag (or straining the leaves). Leave the resulting tea behind to cool completely.
- Take each color of your boba pearls and place them in a separate saucepan.
- Boil each of the pearls (both the black pearls and the white pearls) for at least 5-6 minutes. Note: If your boba pearls package states otherwise for its preparation, feel free to follow the directions as stated on the label.
- Take 3 tablespoons from each boba saucepan and set it aside (6 tablespoon total). Strain the remaining boba pearls taking care to keep the two colors separate.
- To serve the drink, add a third of your tapioca balls (or boba pearls) to a glass. Fill the glass with ice cubes, along with the cup of milk, brown sugar, and tea.
- Stir to incorporate. Adjust the flavor as desired.
- Garnish the drink with the remaining tapioca balls on top.
Panda Milk Tea: Creamy, Delicious, and Simpy to Make at Home!
All in all, Panda boba milk tea is creamy and delicious, but equally simple to make. It’s a blend of black or green tea, along with sweetened milk. The black and white tapioca balls are added for garnish work to give it a unique “panda” inspired look that is all its own.
This popular drink that once originated in Taiwan is now becoming a trend around the globe. When will you give it a try?
Other drinks you can learn about are on my blog:
Until next time!
FAQs
What tea is in panda milk tea?
There is usually black or green tea in panda milk tea.
How much caffeine in panda milk tea?
There can be anywhere between 30-50 mg of caffeine in panda milk tea.
What does panda milk tea taste like?
Panda milk tea tastes milky and sweet. It is a combination of black or green tea and sweetened milk, much like a tea latte would be. Know also that panda milk tea may be sensed with other flavors. This may give each panda tea a unique taste that may be different from another panda tea of the same name.
