Choose a Boba Drink, Get a Book Rec
Debut books by Asian authors to read based on your drink choice
I’m not a coffee drinker, but I will drink boba all day every day.
For those of you unfamiliar with the drink, boba (also known as “bubble tea” or “pearl milk tea”) is a sweetened tea with tapioca pearls that originated in Taiwan. Traditionally, it is black tea, milk and tapioca balls, but it has since expanded to a variety of different flavors with and without milk and a variety of snacks and treats.
As a book lover, I thought it would be fun to try to pair books with some popular boba drinks. I’m by no means a tea connoisseur, but I tried to pair the flavors with books that gave off a similar vibe.
1. Black Milk Tea
The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
Genre: Literary Fiction, Contemporary
“Four mothers, four daughters, four families whose histories shift with the four winds depending on who’s ‘saying’ the stories. In 1949 four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk. United in shared unspeakable loss and hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Rather than sink into tragedy, they choose to gather to raise their spirits and money. ‘To despair was to wish back for something already lost. Or to prolong what was already unbearable. ‘Forty years later the stories and history continue.” — Edelweiss
A classic. The OG. The national drink of Taiwan that’s sparked an entire food culture. No post about boba would be complete without mentioning black milk tea. Some people might think it’s basic, but it’s the whole reason a day like Bubble Tea Day exists. I personally love black milk tea, and it’s my go-to order.
Asian rep is becoming more and more common in the world of publishing, but when you think about authors who helped pave the way for other Asian voices, you have to think about Amy Tan. And you can’t think of Amy Tan without thinking about The Joy Luck Club. During a time when Asian American lit was barely a thing, Tan wrote a debut that became a NYT bestseller, got a movie adaptation, and even earned a spot in the Penguin Orange Collection of American classics.
2. Strawberry Matcha Latte
Portrait of a Thief, Grace D. Li
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller
“Ocean’s Eleven meets The Farewell in Portrait of a Thief, a lush, lyrical heist novel inspired by the true story of Chinese art vanishing from Western museums; about diaspora, the colonization of art, and the complexity of the Chinese American identity.” — Goodreads
A perfectly layered drink of earthy green matcha, pure white milk, and a gorgeously pink strawberry puree, it’s a drink that was made for Instagram. I’m not gonna lie, when I first heard about Boba Guys’ iconic drink, I thought it was a total gimmick to attract the hipsters, but somehow the combination works and has become one of my favorite drinks.
I can’t think of a more Asian American drink than the strawberry matcha latte, and Grace D. Li’s debut, Portrait of a Thief, is pretty much the epitome of the Asian diaspora experience. It’s a gorgeous piece of prose that explores identity when you’re Chinese but also…not (at least according to everyone else). I read it back in November and still haven’t been able to write a fully coherent review because I just have a lot of feelings. Despite growing up fully comfortable with my identity as an American-born-Chinese, I still found myself resonating with almost every character (sorry, Daniel) in the novel. If you’re looking for a book that explores identity in a nuanced and meaningful way, check out Portrait of a Thief.
3. Passion Fruit Green Tea
Not Here To Be Liked, Michelle Quach
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
“Emergency Contact meets Moxie in this thoughtful unpacking of gendered double standards in this modern romantic comedy. A cheeky and whip-smart YA contemporary that follows an ambitious Chinese Vietnamese American girl who finds herself trapped between leading a feminist movement and falling for her patriarchal enemy.” — Edelweiss
Some people associate boba with overly sweet drinks, but a passion fruit green tea is the perfect blend of tart and sweet. It’s ideal for when you’re looking for a light and refreshing drink or if you’re lactose intolerant. Those little passion fruit seeds can be a little annoying, though.
On the back of Michelle Quach’s debut, there are big white letters that read, “WARNING: This Book contains an unlikeable female character,” which makes it the perfect book for people who like the sour-sweet combination of a passionfruit green tea. Quach takes the grumpy x sunshine trope to an entirely new level by writing what some people may find is an “unlikeable female character.” (I personally loved Eliza, but I’ve also acknowledged multiple times I’d be the grump in a relationship.) Not Here To Be Liked was a surprisingly fun read for a book that was about a prickly girl taking on the patriarchy and is my idea of a great summer read.
4. Salted Cheese Tea
Violet Made of Thorns, Gina Chen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Publication Date: July 26
“A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies — perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove.” — Goodreads
Salted cheese drinks or tea cremas might be one of the more unusual trends in the boba world. The frothy white foam sits on top of your tea which you’re supposed to drink at a 45-degree-angle. I still have no idea what the salty cream is made out of and don’t necessarily go out of my way to order it, but I don’t hate it.
In the same way that salted cheese drinks might not be for everyone, Violet Made of Thorns might be an acquired taste for some. Like Not Here to be Liked, it features a prickly protagonist who doesn’t really fit the mold of YA Heroine. I personally loved Gina Chen’s debut and keep procrastinating on finishing my review because how do you describe a book that fits you like Cinderella’s glass slipper?? If you like characters who are a little salty or are an adventurous reader who isn’t afraid to try something new, you should definitely check out this “beautifully vicious” fantasy that Chloe Gong says is “perfect for the fairytale reader who has always wanted the heroine to grow sharp teeth and bite Prince Charming.”
5. Roasted Oolong Milk Tea
Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Sue Lynn Tan
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology, Retellings
“A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm. This enchanting, romantic duology weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic, of loss and sacrifice — where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.” — Edelweiss
Oolong (“black dragon”) is a popular tea flavor that falls somewhere along the spectrum between green and black tea on the oxidation scale and can have a different flavor depending on its origin.
I personally love the complex flavor of a roasted oolong milk tea and think the flavor profile is a great match for The Celestial Kingdom duology which takes a classic Chinese legend and reinterprets it in a completely new way. It’s a sweeping tale that spans a range of emotion, giving us light, sweet moments with romance and darker moments of betrayal and war. If you like things that are #VeryAsian but have an unexpected twist, Daughter of the Moon Goddess is for you.
6. Tieguanyin Latte
A Magic Steeped in Poison, Judy I. Lin
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
“A young tea-maker travels to the capital city to take part in a cutthroat magical competition that could be the key to saving her sister’s life, but political schemes and secrets make her goal of winning access to the royal physicians far more dangerous than she imagined. A Magic Steeped in Poison is sure to enchant fans of Adrienne Young and Leigh Bardugo.” — Author Website
Tieguanyin is named after the Chinese “Iron Goddess of Mercy,” Guanyin for some reason I’m too lazy to research at this time (leave a comment below if you want to make up a reason or if you actually know why). The tea is one of my dad’s go-to orders when we go out to eat, and I always associate it with a dark, heavily steeped and slightly bitter taste.
Judy I. Lin is a Taiwanese Canadian debut author and is the reason I found out about Bubble Tea Day. A tieguanyin latte seems fitting for her debut not just because it’s a TPTea bestseller but because the whole book is about the world of tea (albeit set against a Song Dynasty-inspired fantasy backdrop). Tieguanyin is probably a lesser-known tea for most people which is a perfect match for A Poison Steeped in Magic, which introduces readers to a variety of tea flavors. The slight, bitter notes of tieguanyin are a great representation of a slightly darker fantasy. The story is full of mystery in a world where poison can be lurking in every cup.
7. Hong Kong-style Milk Tea
An Echo in the City, K.X. Song
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Publication Date: Fall 2023
“Two star-crossed teenagers fall in love during the 2019 Hong Kong protests in this searing YA contemporary debut about coming of age in a time of change.” — Goodreads
Unlike the standard black milk tea, Hong Kong-style milk tea is made with evaporated milk. It’s a Hong Kong classic that’s deceptively simple but comforting, complex and surprisingly caffeinated. I might be biased in recommending it, but HK milk tea is quite possibly my favorite drink and brings back so many childhood memories of afternoons spent in cha chaan tengs.
At the end of 2020, I was thinking about all the Asian rep making gains in YA and realized I had yet to find a story set in HK. Then I discovered K.X. Song’s debut. I was beyond excited to find a YA novel set in a city that is near and dear to my heart and may or may not have slid into K.X. Song’s DMs to tell her. An Echo in the City was originally slated as a 2022 debut, but it looks like its pub date has been pushed back to next fall. If you’re a fan of what’s essentially the national drink of Hong Kong, you should add An Echo in the City to your TBR.
8. Yuan Yang Milk Tea (Coffee Milk Tea)
The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly Mei, Christina Matula
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Contemporary
“Packed with humor and heart, this debut middle grade series follows a girl finding her place in a brand-new world of private school and frenemies when her family moves to Hong Kong. Perfect for fans of Meg Medina and Erin Entrada Kelly.” — Edelweiss
Yuanyang (or yuenyeung) milk tea is another Hong Kong favorite that combines HK-style tea with coffee. Growing up, I always assumed the name referred to the yin and yang of an Eastern and Western drink coming together, but I recently discovered the name actually comes from 鴛鴦, the characters for mandarin ducks. They’re apparently the peacocks of the duck world where the males are colorful and the females are plain and have become a symbol of love in Chinese culture.
I can’t think of a better book to represent this East-meets-West drink than The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly Mei which follows a Canadian-born-Chinese Hong Kong transplant. (I personally could not be happier that 2022 has decided to bless us with not one but two books about Hong Kong.) I haven’t had a chance to read Christina Matula’s debut yet, but you can be sure I’ll be picking it up when it comes in at my local library.
9. Black Sesame Latte
The Donut Trap, Julie Tieu
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
“A debut romantic comedy charmingly reminiscent of the TV show Kim’s Convenience and Frankly in Love by David Yoon about a young woman who feels caught in the life her parents have made for her until she falls in love and finds a way out of the donut trap.” — Goodreads
Black sesame lattes aren’t technically boba drinks or even tea, but I’ve started seeing them on the menu alongside bubble milk tea so why not include them in the list? I love the nutty flavor of black sesame and think a creamy latte is a satisfying alternative to boba tea when I need a non-caffeinated option. (I’m also secretly hoping that the Chinese belief about it preventing grey hairs is true.) The hot version is especially comforting on a cold or windy day.
Maybe it’s because I tend to see them listed on the menus of places that sell mochi donuts and katsu breakfast burgers, but black sesame lattes make me think of hipster Asian fusion. The drink takes a decidedly Asian ingredient and makes it appealing to a new generation of food bloggers and Instagrammers — just like Jasmine Tran in Julie Tieu’s debut. The Donut Trap follows Jasmine Tran’s attempt to make her family’s donuts Instagrammable, but I also think the way Tieu explores the dynamic between immigrant parents and their children makes it the perfect book for a drink that takes an old-school flavor and reinvents it in a drink for a new generation.
You can find and buy your own copies of these books by checking out my list on Bookshop.org. By purchasing through my Bookshop affiliate link, you’ll be supporting indie bookstores and this book blogger’s reading habits.
Originally published at Little Corner Reads on April 30, 2022.
