The Boba Book: Bubble Tea and Beyond

by Andrew Chau, Bin Chen, Richard Parks III

A beautifully photographed and designed cookbook and guide to the cultural phenomenon that is boba, or bubble tea--featuring recipes and reflections from The Boba Guys tea shops.

Andrew Chau and Bin Chen realized in 2011 that boba--the milk teas and fruit juices laced with chewy tapioca balls from Taiwan that were exploding in popularity in the States--was still made from powders and mixes. No one in the U.S. was making boba with the careful attention it deserved, or using responsible, high-quality ingredients and global, artisanal inspiration. So they founded The Boba a chic, modern boba tea shop that has now grown to include fourteen locations across the country, bringing bubble tea to the forefront of modern drinks and bridging cultures along the way.

Now, with The Boba Book , the Boba Guys will show fans and novices alike how they can make their (new) favorite drink at home through clear step-by-step guides. Here are the recipes that people line up for--from the classics like Hong Kong Milk Tea, to signatures like the Strawberry Matcha Latte and the coffee-laced Dirty Horchata. For the Boba Guys, boba is Taiwanese, it's Japanese, it's Mexican, it's all that and more--which means it's all-American.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction, Tea, Cooking, Food and Drink, Foodie

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Lê Tuyền ICHI · Rating 3 out of 5]

Những ai quen biết Mị sẽ không bao giờ ngờ... Mị sẽ cầm trên tay một quyển sách về Pha Chế như quyển "Trà sữa và hơn thế nữa" này. Thì cũng chẳng tự nhiên,... do Mị săn sale 9k, dính chưởng quyển này và 1 lô quyển khác (sản phẩm chim mồi ó), bị dụ mà thích ghê ^^!

Quyển này hướng đến đối tượng độc giả là các bạn kinh doanh cửa hàng trà sữa (và tất cả thể loại trà, sữa khác...). Phần lớn nội dung là danh mục thức uống cùng công thức pha chế. Bên cạnh đó, là các giải thích về nguyên liệu, đặc tính, văn hóa của thức uống (đọc cũng lượm lặt được nhiều cái thú vị). Ngoài ra, Andrew Chau, Bin Chen cũng chịu khó dẫn dắt độc giả qua việc chia sẻ hành trình tạo dựng và phát triển Boba Guys - chuỗi cửa hàng trà sữa của tác giả.
Giọng văn mang tính kể chuyện, tự thuật, có phần sôi nổi, dù thì vẫn thiếu ít nhiều tính bài bản chỉn chu của thuật viết lách.
Là sách nấu ăn (pha chế) nên có rất nhiều hình ảnh minh họa, đạt điểm cao về tính Sinh Động.

Tuy vẫn giới thiệu một số món của khu vực Âu - Mỹ, nhưng chiếm phần lớn vẫn là các đại diện Châu Á. Việt Nam có được 3 đại diện: Cà phê phin sữa đá, Trà soda trứng, Cà phê trứng :3. Ngoài ra, thì có một số món phổ biến ở VN lẫn các nước Đông Nam Á. Cảm nghĩ chung là tưởng như đang du lịch văn hóa qua trang sách đó.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of recipes that look and sound delicious, but take note: this is not the book for your usual bubble tea shop offerings. While it's titled The Boba Book, this is strictly based on the offerings from The Boba Guys bubble tea shops, with the addition of tea cocktails that Chau and Chen have crafted. There's a lot of cultural mixing going on here, with lassi, horchata, POG, a version of a version of Irish coffee, so if you're looking for strictly Taiwanese/Chinese bubble tea recipes, you won't find them here. However, you'll find a lot of yummy Asian and Asian-fusion drinks -- so really, it's what you think you'll like. Personally, I like it and would like to try almost every single one of these drinks, but I can see how this book would not be for those who strictly wanted to know how to make fresh taro slush with pearls.

The text was very Millennial (I say, as a Millennial), with lots of charm and (soon to be dated) pop-culture references. The stories in and about Asia from both Chau and Chen were wonderful to read about, and they seem to have tried their best to do some great research for this book. The text message bubbles were at equal times annoying and interesting -- some were just side comments that were a waste of my time to read (though, I admit, they gave me some insight into who these guys are personality-wise) while some were informative about the culture or process involved in the drink or their version of it.

In terms of the recipes, they were all straightforward. My preference is more easy indications (usually with symbols or icons) for vegan options. While many of the recipes are vegan (using almond milk), some are very much not (egg yolk, half-and-half, whole milk) and so I think it would've been a better cookbook if Chau and Chen had experimented to see which and how to substitute the non-vegan ingredients.

More substitutions in general would have been good, as well. For instance, Chau and Chen mention that oat milk rather than almond milk could be substituted for half-and-half in the beginning, but there are some recipes that call for almond milk and I was like, "Can I substitute oat milk?" (I prefer the taste of oat milk and the water consumption used in its creation as opposed to almond milk, which has a water-heavy production) with no clear answer.

The photos used are really beautiful and well shot. There are some recipes that don't show the finished drink in a glass at all, and that's acceptable for me, even though I greatly prefer seeing a completed recipe in a recipe book. The other images of their trip to Asia, of their Boba Guys location staff, of their family members was really wonderful and added a lot to make the book personable, at least for me.

My main confusion: Why did they ask Richard Parks III to participate in this book? They explain it at the beginning, but I couldn't see the reasoning apply in the rest of the book. Yes, he's their Android-using green text message bubble, buuuuuuuuut what does he actually add to the main text? I couldn't tell, so maybe that means it worked or maybe that means it didn't work. I guess decide for yourself.

[High Plains Library District]

The Boba Book: Bubble Tea and Beyondis a visually delightful and fascinating glimpse into the delicious world of boba or bubble tea. Aundrew Chau and Bin Chen share their stories of self-discovery and expression and insight into how this drink brought together their Asian and American cultures. It’s amazing how food can bring people together, and the authors suggest that boba has done just that. With tea from Asia, milk in tea from Europe, and tapioca from South America, the resulting combination is a delightful cup of boba. From the classic milk tea to an elderflower tea cocktail, the self-proclaimed Boba Guys offer several new ways to enjoy boba.

While my drinks certainly did not look as gorgeous as the photos, they did taste delicious! If you don’t have a boba shop or place that offers it, this book offers a few simple recipes and suggestions for making your own. And if you are a boba lover like me, you may be inspired to create new combinations and experiment with the flavors!

[Dorothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful visuals, and I appreciated the primer on boba ingredient basics! There's a great collection of recipes of varying difficulty - I tried making a couple of their "traditional" drinks and am looking forward to trying some of the more advanced ones!
I really enjoyed their reflections from Asia and do wish they expanded on those thoughts more throughout the book.

[Charmaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would make a beautiful coffee table book.

I think I misunderstood the purpose of this book. I wanted to read about the Boba Guys journey. We got a bit of that at the beginning and the end, but this was mostly a pretty cookbook. I earmarked a couple of the recipes, but... realistically, it's a whole lot easier for me to buy some bubble tea (as we say out on the east coast!) than to go through all this trouble of making it. And believe me, I've tried! I've made tapioca pearls from scratch before, and it wasn't pretty. As for the rest of these ingredients, well... is it really worth it to buy them all?

I mean, considering how much I spend on bubble tea, it probably would be worth it to just make it on my own more often. Oh well.

[YingYu Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought I would read this book, or even enjoy it. As a Taiwanese, I think we are proud of boba tea, but how we can relate this to our nostalgia or homesickness, I do not know. I am about the authors' age, yet I moved to the States so much later -- when I am an adult, and also a parent.

This book makes me think of what I can do to our future Taiwanese American generations after us. What can we leave them to make them proud? What is our voice so they have something to grasp. The first and last parts are very touching, well, esp. the final part. When I read about Agong and the uncle, I cannot help but feel warm in my heart. A lovely read.

[May-Ling · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this book for what it is - a primer on excellent boba tea, chock with references, history and classic boba guys personality. i especially appreciate the expanded recipes beyond what they offer in their store and their inspiration (not copying) of other cultural drinks and big hits from other boba tea shops. of course, i fall completely into the category of a boba regular who must customize drinks, yet their tea is not my favorite (i'd rather have non-dairy milk and prefer a stronger brew...) and i cheered out loud to see one my top shops get a call out (cha express in san mateo - woot woot!)

i'm too lazy to create most of these drinks by hand and the book gave me a greater appreciation for the passion they put into creating the perfect blend of high quality ingredients for their drinks. the authors also helped school me on southeast asian traditional drinks, which i don't have deep knowledge about. i'd love to see this as a coffee table book in boba and coffee shops and definitely you should consider it as a gift for the boba lover in your life!

regarding the critical reviews of the style or millennial feel of this book - i find that a bit ridiculous. that quirky style fits right into the third culture space that the authors fall into and is basically the foundation of their bay area/instagram success. [shrug] haters gonna hate.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

The recipes all look pretty good but I know I will never make them. I am not a boba fan. So why did I pick up the book? I am a tea fan and sometimes I will go to boba shops to get tea (i like to try new things) and yes they all look at me weird when I ask for no toppings and no sugar. (why is there so much sugar?)

These guys are clearly excited that they have their book and it reflects in the writing but I feel like they are trying to hard to be cool. There are some cultural references (seriously, western references!) that I simply do not get. Is it because I am not that immersed in the boba tea culture? Is that why this booking hasn't taken me?

Again, some good looking recipes and for the really committed, you can make your own toppings!

[Shu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeously edited and charmingly written, this was a surprise hit from the library for all 3 of my kids (ages 9, 5, and 3), not to mention the well-received recipes we tried from this cookbook. But, it is so much more than a cookbook that I couldn’t help but to buy a copy for my company’s library in time for our summer boba bash, despite not being a boba aficionado myself.

Bathed in cross-cultural attributions and layered with personal stories, the book shows how Andrew and Bin truly enjoy what they do and represent and how skilled they are at reaching out to their target demographic by writing in a style that is both effortlessly cool and infectiously warm. The palpable joy almost made me forget how difficult 2020 was for Boba Guys stores. 加油！

[Varsha | restlessfiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Boba Book does a phenomenal job at diving into what boba is and its significant place in Asian American culture. The book does dive into tea basics and into recipes for drinks both offered in and out of the brick-and-mortar locations. But it also provides a human element to it all by explaining why boba and sharing its history. At the end of it all, they stress how boba can and does cross cultural lines.

This book isn’t perfect, but it’s filled with so much love. If you are at all curious or are a boba fan yourself, I’d give this one a read.

[Sky]

Something something frequent Black pop culture references with no actual Black content, I don't have the brain capacity to dissect this more right now but it was basically all I thought about as I read... Not every book has to represent everything!! I get that!! But also for a book that is loudly proclaiming about bridging cultures and differences and has a full page about the politics of cultural appropriation, it felt like a glaring omission.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love teas and when I saw this book it peaked my interest. I had never heard of the boba guys before. I bought the book and have made some of the recipes and none of them disappoint. We have enjoyed the Thai tea, chai tea and the horchata. Love them all! And today , we are trying the iced champurrado. I have ordered most of the ingredients off of Amazon. So glad I bought this!

[Somebody · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed. I wanted a BOBA book with recipes of the popular boba drinks I can find in shops, because I want to make them myself. However, despite the title "The Boba Book", this book really is just a compilation of asian-inspired drinks. There are very few boba recipes - most of them are just mixed drinks, even cocktail. No coconut jelly, no taro, no pudding. What kind of boba books is this?

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boba tea (or Bubble Tea, as its called on the East Coast) is a deliciously sweet, cold caffeinated drink that comes in many flavors.

Chau outlines here out to make yourself many of the many possible combinations in this equally sweet and energized cookbook.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. Such a creative collection of bubble tea recipes and boba-related tidbits to shake things up. The casual, playful tone of the authors is strong -- lots of trendy references that will quickly become outdated, but the authors really own that.

It's exciting to see boba blossoming in the US. If you're boba curious, check out this cookbook!

[Jena Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part boba history, part Boba Guys origin story, part cookbook, part cultural discussion. This is one of my must-stops every time I'm in San Francisco and I WISH they could franchise a store into the Midwest. But I digress.

[Heather Louie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was 16 on a UC Berkeley tour with my hecka cute, out of state summer bf when I first tried boba - forever linking the sugar rush with wholesomely fond nostalgia. These recipes are similar in their confident, earnest optimism and carefree approach to sweetness 😻😄🥤

[Hà Phương · Rating 4 out of 5]

một quyển sách công thức đi từ truyền thống đến hiện đại của những người Mỹ gốc Á, cùng với câu chuyện của chuỗi trà sữa Boba Guys. Các công thức rất đầy đủ nhưng sẽ phù hợp với dân chuyên nghiệp hơn là tự pha ở nhà.

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book with recipes full of history and culinary genius! I borrowed the copy I read from the library but will be buying my own copy when I can as there are so many recipes I want to try in this book!

[Juli Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in-depth look at creative tea beverages! This book is quite wide-ranging, even veering into cocktails and the like. It was a little too in-depth to be useful to me as a cookbook, but I loved the authors' voices and banter throughout the book and really enjoyed reading their stories.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, informative, and delish!

[monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

knocking one star off for the 'hello fellow kids' vibe of the text bubbles and constant drake references.

[Charisse Vizcarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! A book about boba!!! I cannot wait to try the recipes for myself. Who doesn’t love boba? It’s a fun read on how it began and where the reader can go from there.

[Maythawee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the writing style of this book: educational, funny, fun. Also, the design, pictures and layouts are awesome. It's worth the time since the cover.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Includes many recipes (that you’d need boba for). But what I found most interesting were the authors’ reflections on being immigrants in the US.

[Millie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So pretty!

[cqmdh]

Một tập sách in giấy dày xịn, ảnh chụp nét, ngon mắt, công thức tỉ mỉ chi tiết, đồ uống trông hình thức hấp dẫn thực sự.

[mrs rhys · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book made just for me🧋

[Jewelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book immediately after finding out it existed because I wanted to support one of my all time favorite Boba shops especially during the pandemic where I know their business has been suffering. I expected a boba tea recipe book but was delightfully surprised to find that it was much more than that! The book dived into the cultural upbringing of boba and the "bridging of cultures" that occured in order to make so many new inventive "remix" drinks like a Dirty Horchata drink with boba. The book included references to so many different cultures including Taiwanese (where boba drinks really started), Vietnamese, Hawaiian, Japanese, British, Spanish, and the list goes on. As a fellow Asian-American, I really appreciated the time and effort the authors put into explaining what it is like to live in a "third culture" and how we can see this mix of cultures everywhere we look. However, it was written and explained so well that anyone could understand where the authors were coming from. I have now made my way through almost all of the recipes in the book and have loved all but three of them. The recipes are extremely easy to follow and will have your guests thinking you are a boba master!

[Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to get into making bubble tea at home. There’s something in this book for everyone and many, many recipes to come back to.

Full review here.