You have probably heard about bubble tea or boba, at least once in your life. After all, it is becoming increasingly popular. Yet, do you know what bubble tea is? Do you know its origins? Do you know why people love it? If the answers are “no”, read this article – you will find out answers to these questions here!
What is bubble tea?
Bubble tea is a drink that combines several ingredients. Typically, it is a mix of tea, milk and delicious tapioca pearls – some called the bubbles or boba. However, there are many variations of boba – sometimes without milk or tea, other times added with different toppings. Thus, everyone might have a slightly different mental image when hearing the name “bubble tea”.
However, in most cases people will imagine the black tapioca pearls are the signature of bubble teas. These pearls are created from tapioca starch, brown sugar and water. Don’t let their simple ingredients list fool you – they are delicious and give the bubble tea a unique texture.
What is the origin of bubble tea?
Boba has its roots in Taiwan. It was created in the 1980s and spread to the US and other countries by immigrants in the 1990s. Traditionally, it came in two variations: with or without milk. It is not certain who exactly invented this delicious beverage – there are various stories circulating around, yet none of them has been confirmed.
Why do people love bubble tea?
Since now you know what bubble tea is, it is time to explain why it became an overall favorite for tons of people. It began with its uniqueness – adding the drinks with topping like chewy pearls. This is obviously combined to bring a delicious taste and texture. And there are even more reasons that made boba gain more popularity.
As the bubble tea craze spread, people started experimenting with these beverages. The division into milk/no-milk was beginning to be insufficient, since additional types of bobas were introduced. These included:
- Ice blended bubble teas
- Bubble tea mojitos
- Bubble tea smoothies
- Cheese foam creamas
Along with new types of bubble teas, new topping ideas have been put into life. Nowadays, bobas do not have to include tapioca pearls – they can have ice cream, jellies or even pudding instead.
This wide range of choices attracted even more people. Bubble teas now come in so many shapes, sizes and flavors that every person can find something that suits their taste buds. And this is exactly why so many people love it. If you’ve never tried bubble tea, you can visit one of the popular chain bubble tea shops Sharetea to pick out your favorite flavor from their menu.
The takeaway
What is bubble tea? Typically, it is a tea-based drink which combines tea, milk, tapioca pearls or other toppings. Nowadays, there are a lot more taste combinations, and bobas include fruit jams, ice blended, ice cream or even cheese foam creama. This is the reason why they are so popular – the large variety allows anybody to find their favorite drink.
