I am sure each one of us has seen or heard at least once about Bubble Tea – an iced, sweet tea drink in a tall cup, with what looks like bubbles at the bottom. So what is it?

Bubble tea is most commonly called boba and comes in many different flavors. A name of each drink is given based on what flavor is added to the drink. Two common forms of boba that I know of are fruity tea, which consists of fresh fruits, tea, and ice or milkshake-like tea, made by combining creamer, tea, powdered flavoring, and ice. However, why is it called bubble tea? There are two different theories about why the drink is called bubble tea. The first theory is due to the fact that when all ingredients of the drink are added, it is then shaken up and bubbles are formed. The second theory is because of the tapioca pearls added to the drink. The pearls can be white, colorful, but most commonly black. Nowadays, other options of topping are available such as aloe, egg pudding, coffee jelly, and so on.

So, where did it come from?

The famous drink was originated from Taiwan and how it was created is still not clear. However, CNN stated that Chun Shui Tang Teahouse in Taichung, Taiwan was accepted as its birthplace. The owner of the place added bubble tea to the menu after trying ice coffee in Japan and his employee mixed tapioca balls and added them to the glass. Bubble tea quickly spread throughout Asian and eventually, the world.

Where do I get my boba?

My ultimate favorite place to get boba would be Feng Cha located in Richardson. My second favorite place would be Full. Full has two locations: one in Plano and one in Downtown Dallas, which is easy to get to when you need a break from studying and want to try some boba. When you are not sure what to get, just go with your favorite flavor because I am 99% sure it will be on the menu.

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/bubble-tea-inventor/index.html

- Thuan Lam, MS - Data Science Candidate 2020