Anything great with that Boba fête? Milk tea nowadays has been such a hit among the youth and adults, and kids too, of course. If you are a fan, it’s not tricky to get a good one at Sharetea. But if you’re vegan, is it the place to be?
Let’s see.
Sometimes, things can be a drag. Other times, they’re too real and fast that you’d want to just sit, relax, and get something to satisfy your cravings. What would it be? A milk tea from Sharetea? That’d be great.
Good news. Sharetea offers a few drinks that are vegan-friendly, including their fruit teas and soy milk teas. They offer lactose-free drinks that will surely give you peace of mind. The company has been at it for 30 years, which means it can be trusted when it comes to delivering healthy and plant-based drinks.
If you’re on the lookout for vegan-friendly milk teas, it might be tricky to find one, especially since this kind of drink involves milk. But Sharetea has vegan options for you, and let’s find out more about it.
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Who Is Sharetea?
A pioneer in the Boba industry, Sharetea Bubblicious has been making huge waves for 30 years. In 1992, the company opened its first chain in Taipei, Taiwan selling high-quality black tea and pearl milk tea drinks. For many years, Sharetea expanded its branches in 16 countries with over 300 stores through franchising.
Its locations include the United States, Canada, Southeast Asia, Australia, Dubai, and the Czech Republic. Sharetea provides tea leaves and all the ingredients straight from Taiwan and is sent to its different locations, ensuring fresh and tasty drinks to offer to customers. The company also provides catering services for any event, from birthdays to weddings.
Sharetea Vegan Drinks
Sharetea has said that some of their beverages may contain dairy products, which means that these are not vegan-friendly. But the good news is that they have drinks that contain no animal-derived ingredients, such as soy milk for creamer and sweetener. But what about the tapioca pearls?
Tapioca pearls are made from starch that comes from cassava roots. The grass jelly, which is also an option that you can add to your milk tea, is also vegan as it doesn’t contain gelatin. You only have to ask them to include non-dairy products in your drink, and they will make it for you.
So, let’s find out which drink at Sharetea is vegan.
- Fruit Tea. Sharetea has many different fruit tea flavors to choose from that are lactose-free. You can have the flavors of Kiwi, Mango, Passion Fruit, Orange, Grapefruit, and Strawberry, among others. These are flavored and served with natural plant-based ingredients, such as tea, Aiyu Jelly or Grass Jelly, and aloe vera. Pretty, right?
- Matcha Soy Milk Tea. Not all of Sharetea’s milk tea is vegan, but there are great choices with the exception that they can make it vegan for you. The Matcha Soy Milk Tea topped with red beans is one great vegan option. Matcha is made from green tea leaves, which are plant-based.
- Brewed Tea. Sharetea is winning, especially when it comes to their brewed teas. You’re going to love their classic black tea, classic oolong tea, ginger tea, and more. Most of their brewed teas are considered safe for vegans, except the one sweetened with honey.
- Ice Blended Dessert Drinks. Here’s a pleasant variety of sorbet-like dessert drinks. Sorbet is vegan, although there are times that they’re not plant-based. Sharetea offers many different flavors of its ice blended drinks, including the Strawberry with Lychee Jelly and Ice Cream. Just cut the ice cream on top of it because it’s non-vegan.
- Signature Mojito. Sharetea’s Signature Mojito drinks remind me of the famous that when life gives you lemons, ask for lime instead and make a mojito. Mojito is made out of rum, sugar, mint, lime, and soda water. These are traditionally vegan that you can enjoy. They also offer many different fruit flavors such as Lime, Mango, Peach, and Strawberry Mojito. Hello, summer!
- Tapioca Pudding. Many Sharetea branches also offer this very tempting dessert on their menu. It’s topped with pudding, red beans, creamy coconut milk, and tapioca pearls. Rejoice, vegans!
With all these tasty vegan choices at Sharetea, it’s not too tricky to have one. You only have to talk and ask them about your drink to ensure that they don’t include dairy products or any animal-sourced ingredients. Remember it’s always worth asking questions.
Hint: Sharetea has almond milk. Just ask.
What Is Milk Tea?
Milk tea, as the name implies, is a mixture of milk and tea as well as other ingredients that nowadays have become so popular. There have been many different variations such as adding black pearls or tapioca pearls known as Boba, which is Sharetea’s specialty. In Asia, milk tea has been a household name, and youngsters and adults can’t get enough of it.
Different variations include:
- British Tea. It’s usually served with milk, and you can either choose tea bags or loose tea.
- Burmese Milk Tea. Also called laphet yay cho, this is popular in Myanmar and made with brewed black tea leaves and sweetened with condensed and evaporated milk.
- Hong Kong Milk Tea. This is also sweetened with evaporated milk and made with black tea.
- Doodh Pati Chai. It’s made of milk, sugar, and tea boiled together that’s popular in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
- Teh Tarik. Meaning “pulled tea,” it’s a hot milk tea drink popular in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.
- Suutei Tsai. Here’s a unique salty milk tea variation popular in Mongolia.
- Shahi Haleeb. It’s a Yemeni milk tea with a very sweet taste made with black tea with condensed or evaporated milk. Sugar, cloves, and cardamom pods are usually added.
- Masala Chai. Here’s another South Asian beverage that’s boiled with black tea, milk, and water. It’s usually served with herbs and spices that add aroma to it.
- Irani Chai. Iranian-style cafes in India serve this unique version of tea, which is made from pure milk with the addition of mawa or khoya. This produces a creamy and sweet chai.
- Thai Tea. Made with strongly brewed black tea served with spices such as crushed tamarind, star anise, cardamom, among others. It’s sweetened with sugar and condensed milk and is popular in Southeast Asia.
- Royal Milk Tea. Lipton made this tea, which is made from Assam and Darjeeling tea leaves with added sugar, milk, or honey. It’s also popular in Japan.
- Cambric Tea. Also called “nursery tea,” this is served hot, mixed with water and milk, sometimes cream with only a dash of tea.
- Dalgona Milk Tea. This is made with the traditional honeycomb-like toffee called Korean dalgona. It’s sweetened with milk, cream, and sugar. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, homemade Dalgona Coffee became a go-to drink in Southeast Asia as it can be produced using a hand mixer or even by hand.
- Paaltea-style Milk Tea. A famous League of Legend player named Paaltea only knows the secret ingredient that is mixed with black tea and sweetened with milk.
- Bubble Tea. Here’s the famous pearl or boba milk tea that many young adults have been raving about. These days, this has been very popular and is used on different iced milk tea variations. Yes, those that are served cold like a milkshake, but only with pearls.
It’s worthy to note that these variations are not suitable for vegans as they use dairy products such as milk and cream as a flavoring. But vegans can always make this plant-based in their own way, right?
How Healthy Is Milk Tea?
It’s been said that eating or drinking in moderation is still healthy. This applies to milk tea too. For Sharetea, the company ensures that they deliver their tea leaves fresh to every location to maintain the quality of their beverages.
Tea, the main ingredient is rich in antioxidants that help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. When plant-based milk is added, it adds more proteins, calcium, and vitamin D, which boosts the immune system.
Yes, milk tea is healthy but in moderation. You can even drink every day, but make sure that you’re following the recommended daily intake to avoid any adverse effects in the future.
The Bottom Line
With milk tea on the rise these days, Sharetea has a lot to offer from their fruit tea to their signature mojito. As listed above, these are vegan-friendly although they may need to modify some of them such as replacing animal-sourced milk with almond or soy milk. You just need to ask.
For instance, the milk in their Matcha Milk Tea can be made with animal-derived milk, but it can be soy or almond milk too. However, they have great vegan drink options that you can choose from without feeling guilty.
You know what I mean. Signature Mojito, yes? But know that it doesn’t have to be summer to enjoy one of Sharetea’s vegan-friendly drinks that gives you that “kick.” Actually, each of their beverage is worth a try. You only need to ask if they can make it cruelty-free for you.
