Ranking · Tea bases, ranked for milk tea and bubble tea
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The best teas for milk tea and bubble tea
A milk tea base has to taste of tea through milk, sugar and ice. This list ranks five teas that shops and brands use, by how they carry milk, how they work with fruit and syrups, and how easily the same cup can be bought again. The first two are not Chinese teas.
Disclosure
ODM Tea publishes this list. It does not supply Assam, Ceylon or Taiwanese oolong; it supplies the Fuzhou jasmine green tea and the Tanyang Gongfu black tea ranked third and fifth.
- 01 Assam black tea (CTC)Strong and malty, and in CTC form it brews dark in minutes — the classic base for milk tea and chai.Best for: Strong milk teas and brown-sugar milk tea.Check: Buy from Indian specialists; the CTC particle size sets the brew time. Classic milk tea
- 02 Ceylon black teaBrisk, bright and coppery, holding its flavour in iced and milk teas without overwhelming fruit.Best for: Iced milk tea and Hong Kong-style blends.Check: Buy from Sri Lankan exporters; growing elevation changes the character. Brillant et vif
- 03 Fuzhou jasmine green tea Green tea scented with fresh jasmine blossom — the base for jasmine milk green tea and many fruit teas, where its floral aroma carries through fruit and syrup.Best for: Fruit teas, jasmine milk tea and cheese-foam teas.Check: Specify the scenting rounds, and brew cooler than black tea to avoid bitterness. Fruit and jasmine milk tea
- 04 Taiwanese Four Seasons oolongA light, floral Taiwanese oolong widely used by bubble-tea shops for oolong and fruit teas.Best for: Light oolong milk tea.Check: Buy from Taiwanese suppliers; a roasted oolong gives a toastier alternative. Oolong milk tea
- 05 Fujian Tanyang Gongfu black tea A Fujian congou black tea — smooth, sweet and honeyed rather than malty — for milk teas that should taste of tea without the bite of Assam.Best for: Lighter, less astringent milk teas and premium plain black milk tea.Check: Less punch through heavy milk and ice than CTC; test it at your dilution. Smooth, sweet black
How this list was ranked
Ranked for a shop or brand building a milk tea menu: how well the tea carries milk and sugar, how it works with fruit and ice, and how easily the same cup can be bought again. Assam leads because its strength through milk is the reference the other teas are measured against.
- Tea flavour through milk, sugar and ice
- Fit with fruit, syrups and toppings
- Brew speed and yield for a busy shop
- Ease of buying the same cup again
Questions fréquentes
What tea is used in bubble tea?
Most bubble tea is made with black tea such as Assam, jasmine green tea, or a light oolong such as Taiwanese Four Seasons. Shops pick the base by drink: black tea for classic milk tea, jasmine green tea for fruit and jasmine milk teas, oolong for oolong milk tea.
Which tea is best for milk tea?
Assam black tea, especially in CTC form, is the classic choice because its malty strength comes through milk. For a lighter, sweeter milk tea, a Chinese congou such as Tanyang Gongfu works; for a floral one, jasmine green tea.
Can you use green tea for milk tea?
Yes: jasmine green tea is the usual choice, and matcha is used for matcha lattes. Brew green tea cooler and shorter than black tea so it stays fresh rather than bitter under milk.
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ODM Tea sends the working table with the source named on every row.