The infamously bad boba tea isn’t the only problem. Some places add tapioca pearls to their drinks, resulting in a milky, sweet drink with an unpleasant sweetness. Luckily, the answer is not too complicated. Read on to find out why some boba drinks taste so terrible, and how to get around this problem. You may be surprised by what you discover!

The tea base used in boba is green tea. This is the most common type and comes from Camellia sinensis plants. It’s slightly sweeter than black tea and is often the base for a boba beverage. White tea, on the other hand, comes from young Camellia Sinensis plants and has a white, powdery bud. Its flavor is typically more subtle and sweeter than its black counterpart. Similarly, hojicha is a Japanese green tea with a toasty taste and less caffeine than green tea.

Unlike traditional tea, boba tea can be made at home using a simple device. A tea bag is placed into a large pitcher and placed in the refrigerator. After a few hours, or overnight, the tea will begin to brew. This brew will be slightly sweeter and less caffeinated than it would be if you drank it at a restaurant. Once brewed, the tea can be strained to remove the tea bags and used leaves, or it can be combined with foundational liquids and boba pearls to make a drink that will satisfy your sweet tooth.

It isn’t the aloe jelly, however, that makes boba so bitter. The tea’s high sugar content is linked to cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cognitive decline, and even some forms of cancer. In addition, the flavor of boba tea may be affected by its additives. Those who have tried boba tea may wonder: “Why does boba tea taste so bad?”