Here’s the amazing and delicious Bubble Tea History
Bubble Tea History – This is the story of how bubble tea was created and became one of the most popular beverages of this generation.
Would you believe that bubble tea was invented four decades ago? These recent years, the bubble tea businesses have been booming in different parts of the globe. This drink originated in Taiwan. Based on the article in Britannica, this was invented by entrepreneur and former bartender Chang Fan Shu.
Bubble tea is a beverage composed of tea, milk, and “bubbles”. These bubbles are chewy gelatinous candies made of tapioca or fruit jelly.
In 1949, Chang developed this beverage by shaking the tea in a martini mixer to create a foamy surface. This was served cold and easily became a luxury drink. The beverage was not easily accessible to Taiwanese until the economic boom of the 1980s.
For Taiwanese, this beverage was generally purchased as an after-school or after-work treat from tea shops or street vendors.
It was Tu Zonghe who added fen yuan, or tapioca balls, to green tea and opened a tea shop in T’ainan in 1986. Eventually, the recipe evolved and different variations were created.
Its popularity reached other East Asian countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. Then, it reached North America, as well as Europe. Over the years, larger tapioca balls were added. These are now called boba, giving birth to the term boba nai cha or boba tea. With larger tapioca, specialized larger straw is also used.
It was in the 2000s when bubble tea among Chinese diaspora populations in places such as New York, London, and Berlin. From that, several stores specializing the beverage opened in North America and Europe. At some point, popular fast-food chains also featured bubble tea in their menus such as Dunkin’ and McDonald’s. For health-conscious people, bubble tea stores offer sugar-free varieties.
If you want a hot drink variation, you can also enjoy hot chocolate, especially during the winter season.