SyrupsĪnother consideration to bear in mind when ordering halal bubble tea is syrups. As such, it makes sense that bubble tea is more often than not halal. It’s important to note that bubble tea originated in Taiwan, and was also adopted in South-East Asian countries with large Muslim populations, such as Indonesia and Malaysia thereafter. If you’re not sure of the ingredients within the jellies in question, they are therefore best avoided. While some jellies are made with agar-agar, some of them are made with gelatin.Īs such, this is why adding jellies as a topping to your bubble tea can pose a risk. That said, although delicious, not all jellies are halal. For instance, at Bubblebase we offer fruit jelly, green jelly, and even custard jelly on our menu. Many bubble tea shops offer jelly as an additional topping to their bubble tea drinks. The first consideration you will need to bear in mind when ordering halal bubble tea is the toppings, particularly when it comes to jellies.

These considerations include, but are not limited to: That said, whilst the majority of bubble tea in the UK is halal, it’s important to take a few things into consideration when ordering halal bubble tea.

This emphasises how bubble tea can be safe even if a shop doesn’t have this certification. In Malaysia, for instance, while there are only a handful of certified halal bubble tea shops, the Prime Minister’s Office claimed that bubble teas ‘ which lack halal certification could still be halal as bubble tea is not a brand, but a product’. That said, it’s important to note that bubble tea originated in Taiwan, and was also adopted in South-East Asian countries with large Muslim populations, such as Indonesia and Malaysia thereafter. Well-known haram foods, also known as forbidden foods, include alcohol and pork products, including gelatin.Īs bubble tea is packed with tapioca pearls and popping bubbles, this is where the concern for bubble tea not being halal arises from. Halal food is food that adheres to Islamic law, and the word halal is ‘ Arabic for permissible’. This comes down to the fact that despite their jelly-like appearance and texture, most bubble tea products don’t contain gelatin, the cattle and pork-derived product that is forbidden (haram) in Islam. In short, most bubble teas in the UK are halal. Popping bubbles, on the other hand, are typically made from ‘ nothing more than water, sugar, fruit juice and Alginic acid (found in algae)’.Īs such, most bubble teas in the UK are halal and perfectly safe to consume, even if the bubble tea shop in question is not halal-certified. In fact, tapioca pearls are made from tapioca starch, which comes from the cassava root (a starchy tuber vegetable). This primarily comes down to the fact that despite their jelly-like appearance and texture, most bubble tea products don’t contain gelatin, the cattle and pork-derived product that is forbidden (haram) in Islam. The principal reason why one might assume that bubble tea is not halal, is the tapioca pearls, popping bubbles, and wide range of optional toppings that resemble gelatin derivatives like jelly. If you’ve never had bubble tea before, you might be wondering whether bubble tea is halal in the UK. From gluten-free to halal to vegan lifestyles, if you follow a strict diet, it’s natural to have concerns about whether bubble tea adheres to your dietary requirements.

Halal gelatin uk