Bubble tea

What is Bubble tea?

Bubble tea is a sweet drink made by mixing brewed tea with milk or a non-dairy creamer, sugar, and chewy balls made from tapioca starch. The drink is often poured over ice and served in a clear cup so you can see the dark pearls at the bottom. The pearls are soft and chewy, giving a contrast to the smooth tea. Bubble tea can be flavored with fruit syrups or powders, and sometimes includes toppings like coconut jelly, popping boba (juice-filled spheres), or grass jelly. The drink is usually enjoyed with a wide straw to let the pearls pass through.

Where does Bubble tea come from?

Bubble tea began in Taiwan in the 1980s, with two tea shops each claiming to have invented it by adding tapioca balls to tea. The drink quickly became popular in Taiwan and then spread to other places with large East Asian communities. A court case in Taiwan in 2019 decided that bubble tea could not be patented, as it was a general food product. The drink's name comes from the bubbles or foam created when the tea is shaken, and from the round tapioca pearls.

How is Bubble tea made?

To make bubble tea, tea is brewed and then mixed with milk or creamer and sweetened with sugar or syrup. Tapioca pearls are cooked separately until they become soft and chewy, then added to the bottom of the cup. The drink can be shaken with ice to create a foamy top, or served hot. Shops often let customers choose the type of tea, the amount of sugar and ice, and the toppings. The drink is sealed with a plastic lid, and a thick straw is used to drink both the tea and the pearls.

How and when is Bubble tea eaten?

Bubble tea is usually bought from specialty shops or cafés and is enjoyed as a treat or refreshment, often while out and about. It is popular with young people, who may customize the drink to their taste by choosing different teas, flavors, and toppings. Most people drink it cold, but hot versions are also available. The drink is sipped through a large straw so the pearls or other toppings can be eaten along with the tea.

Kinds of Bubble tea

There are many kinds of bubble tea. The most common use black or green tea as a base, with milk or fruit flavors added. Toppings can include not just tapioca pearls, but also coconut jelly, grass jelly, red bean, popping boba, and more. Some shops offer cheese foam or milk foam on top. Fruit teas, blended drinks, and even alcoholic versions have appeared. The drink can be made with dairy or plant-based milks, and the level of sweetness and ice can be adjusted.

What Bubble tea means

Bubble tea has become a symbol of Taiwanese food culture and is widely recognized as part of the country's identity. In Taiwan, April 30 is celebrated as National Bubble Tea Day. The drink is especially popular among young people in East and Southeast Asia, and has become a sign of Asian American culture in the United States. Bubble tea shops are common in many cities, and the drink has inspired other foods and snacks, such as ice cream and candy.

Questions people ask about Bubble tea

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• How boba, or bubble tea, went globalSouth China Morning Post, Article
• How Bubble Tea Became a Complicated Symbol of Asian-American IdentityEater, Article
• Taiwan finds diplomatic sweet spot in bubble teaAl Jazeera, Article
• West Coast Bubble Tea Shops Brace for Boba Shortage as Cargo Ships Jam Los Angeles PortsSmithsonian Magazine, Article

• Bubble tea on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data