Bubble Tea: What it is and where it came from.

Just as American children have long sought after school refreshments from old fashion drug store soda fountains to Seven-Elevens, Chinese students have relied for many years on tea stands. Set up near schools, several tea stands would compete for business with the best tasting teas available. Some time in the early 1980s in Taiwan, certain stands began to add fruit flavors to their teas with excellent results. Soon many flavors, including taro root were added and the trend was born. To make sure the flavors were well-blended, the drinks were shaken vigorously, producing a frothy head of bubbles on the teas, hence the name Bubble Tea.

Tapioca desserts have been popular in Asia for many years, but in 1983 Liu Han-Chieh introduced tapioca pearls to Bubble Tea in Taiwan. Though there are many varieties, black tapioca pearls are the most popular. These are made with Sweet Potato Starch, Cassava Root and Molasses or Brown Sugar. In a clear cup, the small round pearls look like bubbles themselves further reinforcing the Bubble Tea name.

The tapioca pearls are about ½ inch in diameter and have the consistency of a soft gummy bear. They are sweetened slightly before serving, but have somewhat of a neutral flavor and thus have a tendency to take on the particular flavor of bubble tea. Since the introduction of the pearls, Bubble Tea is served with an over sized straw, through which the pearls are drawn up and chewed. As you might imagine, drinking a Bubble Tea is a unique experience. We like to say "Bubble Tea is not just a drink, it's an event!"

Bubble tea is known by many names including: Pearl Tea, Black Pearl Tea, Pearl Milk Tea and Boba, which is Chinese slang for breast, with which the pearls are thought there to have a similar consistency. By whatever name you choose to call it, Bubble Tea is delicious. It has become quite popular here at the Bubble House and we invite you to try some!