All around the world people are enjoying new crazes, and it is usually connected to food and the new viral thing.
It is a bubble tea – you can see everywhere all around the world people are drinking this funny and wonderful drink, with small bubbles inside, and that has many different tastes, and all of them are equally great.
Boba tea is another name for it, and since we know that it has spread all around the world – there is virtually not one part of the world where Boba tea is not present.
The original Bubble Tea consists of a mixture of black tea, milk, and tapioca beads with the addition of syrup or honey.
Tapioca pearls are originally black and, in addition to the classic ones, they can also be made with other flavors, mainly fruity, where the color of the beads depends on the type of fruit.
The consistency of tapioca beads is gelatinous, almost like gummy candy but softer, so after drinking the tea, it will most often be called, and that is what gives this tea its special charm.
Today there are so many combinations that it is impossible to list them all – the basis can be black tea, black tea with milk and green tea, fruit syrups, powdered flavors and balls of different flavors, as well as fresh fruit.
This is even so true in Muslim countries, like Singapore and Malaysia, and there is a constant question – is Boba tea halal or haram?
What elements make this tea halal or haram, and is there anything that Islamic believers should be careful of?
What is Bubble Tea?
Bubble tea originated in Taiwan in the eighties, and it has gained enormous popularity all over the world.
The premise is that a tea seller liked to be creative and add distinguishable fruit flavors to the tea.
For the flavors to mix nicely with the tea, the glass had to be shaken and that’s how the bubbles and the very name of this famous beverage were made.
In the early 1980s, tapioca beads emerged in Taiwan, and they began to be added to beverages.
Because of their round shape, the name Bubble tea made even more reason.
We know that this bubbly drink is served cold, and it is very refreshing, and sweet with the addition of tapioca beads at the base of the glass.
Occasionally the drink is made with fresh fruit, with the addition of different flavored syrups and sweeteners.
Tapioca beads are black, and in addition to classic tapioca, beads can be made with other flavors – mostly fruit, and the color of the beads depends on the type of fruit.
The texture of tapioca beads is gelatinous, nearly like gummy candy but softer.
They are the size of a smaller marble, and therefore tea is a drink with a wider straw through which the marbles can pass.
The balls are also known as “boba” – so the tea itself is named”Boba tea” in some regions of the globe.
Have you ever made your own bubble tea – you can do it easily with the usage of brown sugar.
You will need these components to make a wonderful Bubble Tea.
You are going to need water, sugar, teabag, condensed milk, brown sugar tapioca starch… and when you look at these ingredients in this way, you can see that they are clean regarding the Halal status.
But the problem arises when you buy store-bought when you do not know the entire process of production, and you do not know if the manufacturer has applied everything that the boba tea requires according to the halal law.
In addition to the preparation itself being very interesting, Bubble tea is a drink that allows customers to play with flavors and various combinations, so they can discover some new fun possibilities for tea drinking every time.
But the fact is that this is the place where the problem can arise as in this mixture, can appear a certain ingredient that is not halal.
Is Boba (Bubble Tea) Halal or Haram In Islam?
To find out if bubble tea is halal-approved in the Islamic religion, we peeked into these inquiries, and here is what we discovered on the topic.
Halal spreads to different kinds of products and services: and most notably there is food and catering.
But it also includes cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, clothes, footwear, furnishings, tourism and shipping, and finances.
In the majority of cases, this is spread in the food and medical industry, and also in the cosmetic industry.
First of all, you need to know what these tapioca pearls have inside of them – they are made out of tea, mild, and also from cassava root.
If you take a look at these particular elements, we can say that they are most definitely halal – they are utilized to make bubble tea.
So, the primary question is, as tapioca seeds are the main ingredient of Boba tea, so are tapioca pearls halal, the answer is yes.
Then you do not have to worry, the bubble tea is halal-approved.
Nevertheless, some ingredients are at times put as an addition and they can make bubble haram.
The most crucial element in this tea is, as we have already mentioned tapioca pearls.
They are prepared in the process when Tapioca starch is extracted from cassava root.
So, in a bubble tea, there is milk, tea, these pearls, and some sweetener like sugar, but it can vary, it can be agave syrup or brown sugar that goes amazingly well in this combination.
Then some other ingredients are added just as Thai Milk Tea and Green Milk Tea and some additional flavorings could be added.
Now, is the process of creating this tea such that it is halal – does it include all necessary steps that are allowed based on Islamic law?
Now, we know that here not one thing that has been used comes from a pig that is not allowed – so this drink is seen as allowed, or halal.
But, once again we must say that you need to be extra careful when you are looking and buying store-bought Boba tea, as then it can have some additional ingredients can be based on a syrup that is on the alcohol base, or some gelatin that is also made from the substance that is not allowed, from pork.
Now, this is not the bubble tea that would be allowed based on Islamic law, but in many cases, hones are added to tapioca pearls and then the tea is completely Halal.
Always take a look at the flavorings and coloring that is added to this tea, as it can have some ingredients that we are not allowed, and also toppings that could have a substance that is not allowed.
For example, Boba tea can use flavorings like vanilla and this flavoring is known to have alcohol in itself, as the vanilla extract is obtained from it, or alcohol is used for it.
If this is the case, then Boba tea is haram.
A similar thing is when it comes to syrups, they are very often used in the process of flavoring Boba teas, and often they could be made out of ingredients that are not halal, so this is something to take a look at when you are buying store bought Boba tea.
It is the best way to make your tea and to use syrup and toppings that are halal, and when you see jelly in it, then it could have gelatin in itself, and it could come from an animal, so avoid this so that you can be certain that this tea does not have anything that is not halal.
If you have thought that the tapioca pearls have gelatin, they do not, and this is completely ok to drink if you want to intake something halal.
Even if you are asking yourself if is popping boba halal, it is, even if it seems that it is made out of gelatin it is not made out of it, but from agar that is completely safe to eat according to the Islamic rules.
Some people have asked if koi Bubble tea is halal.
The answer is that it does not have halal certification, but the majority of the ingredients used in the production of this tea, come from suppliers that are halal certified.
No usage of gelatin or alcohol is forbidden by Islamic law.
Conclusion
The bubble drink is mostly cold, refreshing, and sweet with the addition of tapioca beads at the bottom of the glass.
Sometimes the drink is made with fresh fruit, with the addition of different flavored syrups and sweeteners.
Tapioca beads are black, and in addition to classic tapioca, beads can be made with other flavors – mostly fruit, and the color of the beads depends on the type of fruit.
It is important to note that the original Bubble Tea consists of a mixture of black tea, milk, and tapioca beads with the addition of syrup or honey.
Today, there are so many combinations that it is impossible to list them all, but the basis is mostly black tea, black tea with milk, but also green tea.
All this is mixed with fruit syrups, powdered flavors, and balls of different flavors, as well as fresh fruit.
The final mixture is placed in a shaker when bubbles form, and then the glass is covered with cellophane or a lid, through which a straw is inserted, just like in the majority of places that sell this wonderful drink, which can be very refreshing when it has a fruity flavor, and it can be comforting when you drink the milky version.
The consistency of tapioca pearls is gelatinous, nearly like gummy candy but more delicate.
They are the size of a smaller marble, and therefore tea is drunk with a wider straw through which the marbles can pass.
The balls are also known as “boba” – so the tea itself is called “Boba tea” in some parts of the world.
So, it is very likely if you buy just a regular Boba tea, that you will buy the one that is Halal approved, but always be extra careful that the ones you have bought do not have any toppings, gelating, or colorings that could be haram.
You can even opt to make your own and to be 100 percent sure that is halal.
And this is true for the majority of boba products, and this includes the popping boba since they even can look like they are made out of gelatine, but in fact, they are produced from agar or alginate.
And they are both safe to consume.
We have said that there are many boba teas on the market, always take a look at the ingredients, and when you are asking yourself which bubble tea is halal, you must look at the ingredients list.
Is gong cha halal, as one of the kinds, the answer is it is also halal, as well as vegetarian, it does not have eggs or gelatin, and it does not have any caffeine in itself.
Always have in mind what is Halal – the Halal exemplar includes a set of regulations and procedures regarding food based on Islamic religious traditions.
Halal conditions reach from the Koran and Sharia regulation, and in both cases, define what is halal, i.e. allowed, and what is haram – prohibited.
When we say “allowed” it is connected to food that is formulated according to the way of the majority of the Muslim population and the ways they prepare food, including the killings of for example a certain animal, etc.
Among other things, Halal restricts the usage of blood, pork, alcohol, and meat of dead animals, dogs, and birds of prey.
Nothing can be prepared with wine for example, and even sweets, like cake, cannot be made with some alcohol, or any part of the pig, like fat, or gelatine.
Read also: Are Oreos Halal? / Is Salmon Halal?
