Boba, the delightful fusion of tea, milk, and chewy tapioca pearls is a favorite among Beijingers, especially considering the record-breaking heat this Summer. 

In addition to the classic boba tea, there are also innovative creations from Boba Tea brands, which offer a multitude of options (including coffee, ice cream, and other desserts) to explore with friends and family. 

Join me as I delve into the world of boba, rate my go-to brands and share my drink orders!

Hey Tea 喜茶

Perhaps one of the most recognizable boba brands with their famous man-sipping-drink logo, Hey Tea is debatably the most popular boba chain in China, with 44.14% of respondents buying from them, according to a March 2023 survey. 

Taste: ★★★★★

Affordability: ★★★☆☆

No one’s lining up for hours to buy a Hey Tea anymore and with a recent price drop, Hey Tea is no longer known as the RMB30+ boba chain. Most of their drinks, such as their fruit series, are in the RMB 20-25 price range. 

Price Range: RMB 8-29 

My Go-To Order(s): Can’t go wrong with any of their cheese teas! 

Nayuki 奈雪的茶

From pure tea, sparkling fruit tea, and cheese fruit tea, to supreme fruit tea and the milk tea series, Nayuki has it all!

Taste: ★★★★★

Affordability: ★★★☆☆

Price Range: RMB 15-30 

My Go-To Order(s): Their green grape drink with jelly is a super refreshing option. Also, their bread is really good!

CoCo 都可

CoCo’s core mission is ‘Consistency and Continuity’, which means “bringing the highest quality of tea with unmatchable services to its customers”. It is recognizable by its bright orange packaging and logo. 

Taste: ★★★★☆

Affordability: ★★★★☆

Price Range: RMB 9-22 

My Go-To Order(s): Perhaps my favorite bubble tea order of all time, I love their Passion Fruit Green Tea with Pearls and Coconut Jelly!

Mi Xue Bing Cheng 蜜雪冰城

With drinks ranging from 6-10 RMB, Mi Xue Bing Cheng is the most cost-friendly chain on this ranking! You might see their mascot: the giant snowman, walking around from time to time at their stores, bringing down the heat in Beijing!

Taste: ★★★☆☆

Affordability: ★★★★★

Price Range: RMB 6-10 

My Go-To Order(s): Their lemonade is quite good, but some of their drinks are a bit watered down, but they have great ice cream!

Yi Dian Dian 一点点

A classic boba brand, A Little Tea keeps their prices lower than most bubble tea stores, and it targets mostly teenagers.

Taste: ★★★☆☆

Affordability: ★★★★☆

Price Range: RMB 6-15

My Go-To Order(s): Can’t go wrong with their classic milk tea with boba and 50% sugar. 

There’s something for everyone in this ranking of boba brands, from Hey Tea’s fruity drinks to Nayuki’s diverse menu and Mi Xue Bing Cheng’s budget-friendly options, ensuring a refreshing and delightful summer experience for all boba enthusiasts.

Images: HeyTea, Nayuki Tea & Bakery, CoCo, Mixue, A Little Tea

Suah R is a 17-year-old Korean girl who has lived in China since the age of six. She attends Dulwich College Beijing and is fluent in English, Korean, and Chinese, with aspirations to learn more languages in the future to aid her travels.

Suah is passionate about writing short stories, and exploring fiction such as movies, books, and TV shows. She is an avid reader, with “No Longer Human” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” among her favorite books, and is particularly interested in exploring social issues reflected throughout different literature.

Through this internship, Suah is keen to use her writing to make a difference in society, contributing to the international community in Beijing while reclaiming her Korean identity. She is passionate about raising awareness of social justice issues such as feminism and socioeconomic inequalities and uses her skills, including writing and critical theory, in hopes of making a difference. This is channeled through debate, which she loves: actively engaging in and discussing ideas with her peers, she has judged and taken part in many different competitions, such as her school’s Model United Nations and Asian Parliamentary-style debates, which she begun at the age of 11. Her favourite memories include the school community, such as her Politics class discussions and judging school showcase debates. Using these skills, Suah aims to pursue careers and majors in related fields, such as Global Politics, Sociology, and English Literature, and hopes that she can promote these values in the future.

Images: Suah L