A history on bubble tea

Bubble Tea History: What Is Boba & Where Is It From? What is bubble tea? It’s the drink that’s taken over the entire world – bubble tea. Nowadays, it’s impossible to walk down the street or through a shopping centre without seeing a bubble tea shop and its long line of eager customers. You can usually break down the drink into two different categories – milk tea or fruity tea. Fresh milk can be used as the base of milk teas, but the traditional method uses a combination of milk powder/creamer. Powdered milk gives the bubble tea a rich and creamy flavour and is extremely popular across Asia as it doesn’t perish as easily and is more convenient. Flavours can range from taro, brown sugar, matcha, honeydew, chocolate and many more! On the other hand, fruity teas are refreshing and are usually made with a combination of fruit syrups and different types of green or black tea. Popular flavours include mango, lychee, passionfruit, peach, and strawberry. Where is bubble tea from? Originating in Taiwan and Hong Kong during the 1980s, the unique mixture of boba and tea quickly became a craze throughout Asia. Now, the drink’s popularity has spread across the world, taking over the streets of Australia, New York, San Francisco, London, and beyond. What is bubble tea made of? Despite its name, there are no actual bubbles in bubble tea. Instead, the term refers to the froth that occurs after shaking the cup while making the drink. The term ‘boba’ or ‘pearls’ refers to the chewy balls that are usually added on as a topping inside of the drink. They’re made from tapioca, a starch that is extracted from the root of a plant called cassava – which means its naturally gluten-free, hooray! The cooked pearls are relatively flavourless on their own and are primarily there for texture – think of a drink but with a side of gummy bears. The choice of toppings has expanded beyond the OG tapioca pearls and now you can choose anything from grass jelly to egg pudding, red beans and even popping pearls that are filled with fruit juice and explode in your mouth! So why is bubble tea so popular? The best part of bubble tea is that it’s completely customisable. From ice and sugar levels to an endless number of toppings, the only limit is your imagination. Unlike other mainstream drinks, boba tea has the difference