Bubble Tea originated in Taiwan in the early 1980’s at a small tea stand.
Elementary school children would look forward to buying a cup of refreshing tea after a long, hard day of work and play. Tea stands were set up in front of the schools and would compete for business with the best-selling tea. One concession owner became popular with her tea when she started adding different flavoring to her tea. Because of the sweet and cool taste, children loved the taste. Soon, other concessions heard about the “unique” and popular tea, so they started to add flavoring to their teas. When adding flavor, the tea and flavoring needed to be shaken well for a good all around taste. This formed bubbles in the drink, which came to be known as “Bubble Tea.”
In 1983 Liu Han-Chieh introduced Taiwan to tapioca pearls. The new fad was to add tapioca pearls into a favorite drink. Most of the time tapioca pearls were served in cold infused tea. After the tea and flavor were shaken well, it topped tapioca pearls that were sitting on the bottom of a clear cup. The tapioca pearls also looked like bubbles, thus also became known as “Bubble Tea.
Bubble tea is also known as boba drink, pearl tea drink, boba ice tea, boba, boba nai cha, zhen zhou nai cha, pearl milk tea, pearl ice tea, black pearl tea, tapioca ball drink, BBT, PT, pearl shake, QQ (which means chewy in Taiwanese)
Bubble drinks are cool, refreshing, and a sweet drink with tapioca pearls sitting on the bottom of a clear cup. Sometimes the drink is made with milk, and crushed ice to create a healthy milk shake. You can also find drinks that are made of powdered flavoring, creamer, water, and crushed ice. And if you like it like the Asians do, the cool drink usually includes a healthy tea, infused by a flavoring.
Tapioca pearls are black, but can sometimes be found to be white or transparent. Depending on the ingredients of the pearl, the color varies. I’ve been told that the white and translucent pearls are made of tapioca starch in its natural form. The black pearl includes tapioca starch, sometimes cassava root, brown sugar and caramel which add the black color.
The consistency of tapioca pearls are somewhere between Jell-O and chewing gum. In fact, many people think it’s somewhat of a ‘gummy bear’ texture. Nonetheless, the way the tapioca feels when you chew it is absolutely unique.
A clear cup with black tapioca balls on the bottom can easily identify bubble tea drinks. Another obvious trait is a huge fat straw. The fat straw is needed so that the tapioca pearls can be sucked up with the bubble tea drink and eaten. Bubble Tea’s appearance definitely makes it unique.
One thing is for certain. Bubble Tea is not a fad. It’s a trend. This drink is addictive. If you’ve had a good one before then you know what we’re talking about.
Large Straw to drink tapioca along with bubble tea
The Drink Components™ of bubble tea is made with 4 ingredients:
Flavour: Flavoured powder, Flavoured syrup, fruit purees or fresh fruit
Creamer: Powder creamer, half-n-half, full milk or other creamer
Sweetener: Sugar, simple sugar syrup, fructose, or honey. Sugar free sweeteners can be used such as Aspartame, Stevia and Sucralose.
Liquid: Water, tea or milk
Tapioca Pearls or the “fun” stuff on the bottom adds a new element to the bubble tea beverage. Tapioca is distinctive, chewy and ultimately addicting. Tapioca may be the traditional black or the new colored tapioca pearl. For an added twist, coconut meat can be added for a new flavor dimension.
Only Coffee invites you for The Perfect Bubble Tea Experience.
Drinking the Perfect Bubble Tea includes the perfect texture of the tapioca bubbles or “boba.” The perfect chewiness is similar to a fresh gummy bear. In addition, the drink should be smooth and tasty. The cool beverages should have a good taste and a refreshing feeling. The warm beverages should be at the right temperature to warm one’s inside. Bubble drinks come in a variety of flavors and textures. Some are made with, the flavored powders and some with the flavored syrups. However the drink is mixed, it should not be watery. There should be a clear and distinct flavor with every drink enjoyed with bubbles or “boba” to chew down with the drink.
Although the drink first originated from a mix of real tea and fruit flavoring, this fun drink has recreated itself to being known as a tea, coffee, or smoothie with tapioca on the bottom known as “bubbles.”
Adding tea to the drink is not recommended for all of the flavors. Of course, depending on the taste preference of the customer, you will want to satisfy their taste buds. Black and Green Jasmine Teas have a refreshing sweet taste when flavored syrup or juice flavored powders are shaken with simple sugar syrup. Black milk tea powder can be substituted for brewed tea.
It is Boba Time at Only Coffee all day, everyday, pop in for your Boba Tea Craving today.