A Classic Babe's bubble tea and children's chocolate milk with boba pearls at Babe's Boba Tea in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Heather Benit/Stars and Stripes)
Move over, designer cupcakes, expensive donuts, rolled ice cream and gourmet marshmallows. Kaiserslautern is catching up on the bubble tea trend.
Like doner eateries, tattoo parlors and chic convenience stores, bubble tea shops keep popping up around town. One of these spots is Babe’s Boba Tea on Schillerplatz.
Bubble tea’s signature ingredient is texture-making tapioca pearls that are either chewy or pop in your mouth. They are gluten-free and usually made of tapioca starch, water and brown sugar or other sweeteners.
Babe's Boba Tea serves a full menu of bubble teas in a traditional plastic cup and wide straw for sucking up the boba pearls. (Heather Benit/Stars and Stripes)
Also known as milk tea and boba tea, the drink originated in Taiwan in the 1980s. The concoctions are now big on social media, thanks in part to the tea shops’ bright colors and Instagrammable decor.
I was a boba tea novice when I walked into Babe’s. The menu was full of options, combinations and insider terminology. I was overwhelmed. How can one drink be so complicated?
I asked for a “popular” boba with caffeine-free tea, regular milk and sweet jelly beads. Although I’m not exactly sure what I got, the drink was sweet and sensory. The beads rushed up the straw and popped in my mouth. My order was a success.
With my newfound ordering confidence, I returned with my son to try a customized drink. Babe’s usually has a steady stream of take-away customers, but we were the only patrons that evening.
A bubble tea from Babe's Boba Tea, with the cafe in the background, at Schillerplatz in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Heather Benit/Stars and Stripes)
Our combined wish list was simply tapioca pearls and lots of chocolate. I asked the bobarista for help. Her English was excellent and she was full of suggestions.
I ended up with the Classic Babe’s with original tapioca, medium sweetness, lactose-free milk — despite asking for regular milk — and coconut jelly. The chewy tapioca beads added a desirable texture but lacked the same burst of joy the popping beads had.
My son’s drink was a tea-free chocolate milk, conveniently ordered off the kids section of the menu, with strawberry popping beads and normal sweetness.
Even at the smallest size of roughly 17 ounces, the order was too large for him, so I drank the rest after he went to bed. It tempted me from the fridge like sugary dessert.
Curiosity about the possibility of bubble oolong tea drew me back a third time. Since bubble tea is a Taiwanese drink, I expected to see oolong on the menu, but alas, it wasn’t. Babe’s serves black and green teas.
The upstairs lounge at Babe's Boba Tea offers a nice view of Schillerplatz in downtown Kaiserslautern. The bubble tea pictured is a Create Your Own with milk, jasmine green tea and other flavors for about 7 euros. (Heather Benit/Stars and Stripes)
I bravely ordered a small create-your-own with jasmine green tea, peach popping pearls, lavender and mango flavors, regular sweetness and no added sugar.
My drink tasted like a pina colada with a price tag to match, 6.85 euros. It came with ice, which trapped the boba pearls and stopped them from flowing up the straw and popping in my mouth, making each sip delicious but disappointing.
Babe’s cafe-style indoor seating sets it apart from the takeout bubble tea places downtown. The view over Schillerplatz was good for people-watching.
Art on the walls at Babe's Boba Tea in Kaiserslautern features entries from an art competition. (Heather Benit/Stars and Stripes)
The walls were decorated with cute artwork from an art competition, giving the interior a community feel. But the area is a bit rundown and not Instagram-inspiring.
Because bubble teas are served in a plastic cup with a plastic covering and straws, tossing more waste from this latest drink killed my sugar buzz. Bubble tea was turning into an expensive indulgence. The thrill was gone.
Sampling the Valentine’s Day specials might tempt me to go back in February, but it’s unlikely I’ll make bubble tea a habit. For a sweet treat, I’d prefer an ice cream cone for 2 euros a scoop, zero plastic waste and no decision fatigue.
Babe's Boba Tea adds a splash a color to Schillerplatz in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Heather Benit/Stars and Stripes)
Babe’s Boba Tea Address: Schillerstrasse 5 67655 Kaiserslautern
Hours: Monday-Friday 1 p.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday 12 p.m.-7p.m.
Prices: Varies but expect to pay 5 to 7 euros per drink
Delivery: Available via Lieferando.de
Online: Babe’s website at https://babesbobatea.simplywebshop.de/storedata/listStore; Instagram; Facebook
