was first invented in the 1980's by a small Taiwanese merchant.
Discovered by Japanese businessmen and popularized through a Japanese
television show. By the 1990's. bubble tea was all over Asia.
Now, it has migrated to North America. California was the first North
American state to embrace bubble tea. Today, bubble tea can be
found in major Canadian city malls."
tea, also called boba tea, is a tea beverage containing gelatinous
tapioca pearls. It originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, spread to nearby
East Asian countries, and migrated to Canada before spreading to
Chinatown in New York City, then to various spots throughout the West
Coast of the United States. The literal translation from Chinese is
pearl milk tea.
The word "bubble" refers to "bubbling", the process by which certain
types of bubble tea are made, and not the actual tapioca balls. The
balls are often called "pearls." Drinks with large pearls are consumed
along with the beverage through wide straws; while drinks with small
pearls are consumed through normal straws. Bubble tea is especially
popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian regions such as Taiwan,
Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and more recently
popularized in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and
The distinctive characteristic of bubble tea is the presence of chewy
translucent balls of pearl tapioca (that sit at the bottom of the
glass). Usually the pearls are "large pearl," larger than the "small
pearl" that is customary in tapioca pudding. Cooked, large pearls have a
diameter of at least 6 millimeters. Occasionally, "small pearl" tapioca
is used. Both sizes of pearls are available in a variety of colors. The
pearls boiled in water for 25 minutes, until they are cooked thoroughly
but have not lost pliancy, then cooled for 25 minutes. After cooking
they last about 7 hours. The pearls have little taste, and are usually
soaked in sugar or honey solutions.
Bubble teas are generally of two distinct types: fruit-flavored teas,
and milk teas. However, some shops offer a hybrid "fruit milk tea." Milk
teas may use dairy or non-dairy creamers.
The original bubble tea consisted of a hot Taiwanese black tea, brown
large pearl tapioca, condensed milk, and honey. As this drink became
more popular, variations were created. Iced versions appeared soon, and
came along green bubble tea which uses jasmine green tea instead of
black tea. Peach or plum flavoring began to appear, then more fruit
flavors were added until, in some variations, the tea was removed
entirely in favor of real fruits. These fruit versions usually contain
colored pearls (and/or "jelly cubes" as in the related drink taho), the
color chosen to match whatever fruit juice is used. Flavors may be added
in the form of powder, fruit juice, pulp, or syrup to hot black or green
tea, which is shaken in a cocktail shaker or mixed in a blender with ice
until chilled. Cooked tapioca pearls and other mix-ins are added at the
Today one can find shops entirely devoted to bubble tea, similar to
juice bars of the early 1990s. Bubble tea bars often serve bubble tea
using a machine to seal the top of the cup with plastic cellophane. This
allows the tea to be shaken in the serving cup. The cellophane is then
pierced with a straw. The straw may be brightly colored, and is
oversize, large enough for sucking up the pearls. Other cafés use
plastic dome-shaped lids.
Different flavoring can be added to bubble tea. Some widely available
fruit flavors include strawberry, green apple, passion fruit, mango,
lemon, grape, lychee, peach, pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, banana,
and kiwi. Other popular non-fruit flavors include taro, coconut,
chocolate, coffee, mocha, barley, sesame, almond, ginger, lavender,
rose, violet. Some of the sour fruit flavors are usually only available
in bubble tea without milk as the acidity will curdle the milk.
Tapioca balls of big and small sizes are of course the prevailing chewy
tidbit in bubble tea, but a wide range of other options can add equally
tantalizing texture to the drink. Green pearls have a small hint of
green tea flavor, and are chewier than the traditional tapioca balls.
Jelly, in small cube or rectangular strips, with flavors like coconut
jelly, konjac, lychee, grass, mango, green tea, or rainbow (a fruit
mix), has a pliant, almost crispy consistency. Red bean or mung bean
mush, also typical toppings for Taiwanese shaved ice, give the drink an
added subtle flavor as well as texture. Aloe, egg pudding, sago, taro
balls can also be found in most tea houses to complete the perfect cup
Bubble tea cafes are often popular hangouts for younger south east
Asians. Stores are generally small, so it is often a stop before student
gatherings or activities. Such a youth culture in adoption to western
countries result in stacks of magazines (both Asian and American
versions), Chinese manga, and showing of music videos of Asian pop
These cafes generally have a small food menu catering to its clientele,
among the most common Deep-Fried Chicken with Salt & Pepper (鹹酥雞) and
thick sliced toast in sweet flavors (厚片土司). In the early 2000, some
bubble tea cafes emerged in more elaborate versions, providing larger
space, better sittings, and exquisite products.
Drinking the pearls through a straw is common, usually a large diameter
straw is provided to accommodate the particular size of the pearls. A
common error for non experienced drinkers is to empty the container of
fluid before all of the pearls are consumed, thus making it difficult or
impossible to collect the pearls with sufficient vacuum using a straw.
History of the Bubble Tea (How it all Began)
There are two shops that claim to be the first creator of bubble tea.
One is Liu Han Chie who worked in Chun Shui Tang teahouse (春水堂)Taichung
City, Taiwan in the early 1980s, and experimented with cold milk tea by
adding fruit, syrup, candied yams, and tapioca balls. Although the drink
was not popular at first, a Japanese television show generated interest
among businessmen. The drink became well-known in most parts of East and
Southeast Asia during the 1990s.
An alternative origin is the Hanlin (翰林)Teahouse in Tainan City, Taiwan,
owned by Tu Tsong He Hanlin. Bubble tea is made by adding traditional
white fenyuan which have an appearance of pearls, supposedly resulting
in the so-called "pearl tea." Shortly after, Hanlin changed the white
fenyuan (粉圓) to the black, as it is today.
In the late 1990s, bubble tea began to gain popularity in the major
North American cities with large Asian populations, especially those on
the West Coast and East Coast and in Texas. The trend in the United
States was started by Lollicup in the city of San Gabriel, California
and quickly spread throughout Southern California. The
beverage has received much attention from mainstream American media,
including covers on National Public Radio show Morning Edition and the
Los Angeles Times. In the U.S., national and local chains are expanding
into suburban areas, particularly those with large Asian populations.
Bubble tea shops can now be found in shopping malls and shopping centers
in the suburbs. It can also be found in a number of Chinese and Thai
restaurants in and around large cities and college towns. Los Angeles
and Orange County currently has one of the highest concentration of "boba"
bars in the U.S., due to the region's large number of Asian residents.
Bubble tea has spread internationally through Chinatowns and other
overseas Asian communities. It can be found in major European cities
such as London and Paris. Bubble tea is also gaining popularity in
Canada, particularly in and around the cities of Kamloops, British
Columbia; Vancouver, British Columbia; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Toronto,
Ontario; Edmonton, Calgary; Alberta; and Montreal, Quebec where there
are large Asian-Canadian communities. It is also gaining popularity in
Australia, especially in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne where Asian
immigrants and descendants are highly populated.
More recently, bubble tea has quickly spread in the Mexican city of
Monterrey, and the "Chinatown" neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina,
where Taiwanese communities have introduced it.
The Chinese term for this drink would be literally translated "pearl
milk tea" (traditional Chinese:
珍珠奶茶; "Bubbling tea" in Chinese
actually refers to a modern method of beverage preparation: to
efficiently and homogeneously mix various ingredients in these drinks
(e.g., sugar, powdered milk, tea, and ice), drink makers often shake the
tea up just like how bartenders normally do with cocktails.
Hii ni bidhaa ya kwanza iliyotengenezwa na mfanyabiashara mmoja wa Taiwan. Iligunduliwa na wafanyabiashara Wajapani na kuenea kupitia kipindi cha televisheni cha Kijapani. Kufikia miaka ya 1990. Bubble tea ni maarufu sana katika Asia. Sasa, imehamia Amerika Kaskazini. California ilikuwa jimbo la kwanza la Amerika Kaskazini kukubali chai ya Bubble. Leo, chai ya mviringo yaweza kupatikana katika maduka makubwa ya jiji la Kanada". Chai, pia huitwa chai ya boba, ni kinywaji cha chai kilicho na lulu za tapioca zenye rangi ya gelatinous. Mzunguko huo ulianza Taiwan katika miaka ya 1980, ukaenea hadi nchi za Asia Mashariki, na kuhamia Canada kabla ya kuenea hadi Chinatown huko New York City, kisha maeneo mbalimbali katika Pwani ya Magharibi ya Marekani. Tafsiri halisi kutoka Kichina ni chai ya maziwa ya lulu. "Jina ""bubble"" linamaanisha ""bubble"" au ""bubble"" - mchakato wa kutengeneza aina fulani za chai ya Bubble, na sio mipira halisi ya tapioca." Mara nyingi mipira hiyo huitwa "lulu". Vinywaji vyenye lulu kubwa hutumiwa pamoja na kinywaji kupitia matete mapana; wakati vinywaji vyenye lulu ndogo hutumiwa kupitia matete ya kawaida. Bubble tea ni maarufu hasa katika Asia ya Mashariki na Kusini Mashariki ya Asia kama Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Brunei, Malaysia, Ufilipino, Singapore, Korea Kusini, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, na hivi karibuni maarufu katika Marekani, Canada, Australia, New Zealand na Australia. Kwa kawaida lulu hizo ni "lulu kubwa", kubwa kuliko "lulu ndogo" ambayo ni desturi katika pudding ya tapioca. Likiwa limechemshwa, lulu kubwa huwa na kipenyo cha angalau milimita 6 Nyakati nyingine, tapioca "ya lulu ndogo" hutumiwa. Vipande vyote viwili vya lulu vinapatikana katika rangi mbalimbali. Matofaa hayo huchemshwa ndani ya maji kwa dakika 25, mpaka yawe yamepikwa vizuri lakini hayajapoteza ujanja, kisha huhifadhiwa kwa dakika 25. Baada ya kupikwa, huhifadhiwa kwa muda wa saa saba. Lulu hizo hazina ladha nzuri, na kwa kawaida hutiwa sukari au asali. Kwa kawaida, chai za mviringo ni za aina mbili tofauti: chai zenye ladha ya matunda, na chai za maziwa. Hata hivyo, maduka fulani hutoa "chao ya maziwa ya matunda" iliyochanganywa. Chai za maziwa zinaweza kutumia creamers za maziwa au zisizo za maziwa. Chai ya awali ya Bubble ilitia ndani chai nyeusi ya Taiwan yenye joto, tapioca kubwa ya lulu ya kahawia, maziwa yaliyowekwa ndani, na asali. Kinywaji hicho kilipopendwa zaidi, vipengele vingine vilianzishwa. Matoleo ya barafu yalionekana hivi karibuni, na ikaja pamoja na chai ya mviringo ya kijani ambayo hutumia chai ya kijani ya jasmine badala ya chai nyeusi. Mchuzi wa peach au plum ulianza kuonekana, kisha ladha zaidi za matunda ziliongezwa hadi, katika baadhi ya tofauti, chai iliondolewa kabisa kwa niaba ya matunda halisi. Kwa kawaida, matunda hayo huwa na lulu zenye rangi (au "jelly cubes" kama ilivyo katika kinywaji kinachoitwa taho), rangi iliyochaguliwa ili ifanane na maji ya matunda yanayotumiwa. Ladha inaweza kuongezwa kwa namna ya unga, juisi ya matunda, pulp, au syrup kwa chai nyeusi au kijani moto, ambayo ni kutikiswa katika shaker cocktail au kuchanganywa katika blender na barafu mpaka baridi. Tapioca ni aina ya chai ya kawaida ya kienyeji, ambayo inapatikana katika maduka ya chai ya Bubble, ambayo ni sawa na juisi ya juisi ya mapema ya miaka ya 1990. Mara nyingi baa za chai za Bubble hutumia mashine ya kufunga sehemu ya juu ya kikombe hicho kwa kutumia cellophane ya plastiki. Hilo huruhusu chai hiyo itetemeke katika kikombe cha kuwahudumia. Kisha cellophane hiyo hupigwa kwa kijiti. Huenda nyasi hiyo ikawa na rangi nyangavu, na ni kubwa sana hivi kwamba inaweza kunyonya lulu. Mikahawa mingine hutumia vifuniko vya plastiki vyenye umbo la mnara. Vikolezo mbalimbali vya ladha vinaweza kuongezwa kwenye chai ya Bubble. Baadhi ya ladha za matunda zinazopatikana sana ni pamoja na strawberry, apple ya kijani, matunda ya shauku, mango, limao, zabibu, lychee, peach, pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, ndizi, na kiwi. Ladha nyingine zisizo za matunda ni pamoja na taro, kokoni, chokoleti, kahawa, mocha, shayiri, sesame, almond, tangawizi, lavender, rose, violet. Baadhi ya ladha za matunda yenye chumvi kwa kawaida hupatikana tu katika chai ya Bubble bila maziwa kwa sababu asidi itafanya maziwa yawe na umajimaji. Tapioca ya aina mbalimbali ya aina ya tapioca ni moja ya aina ya chai ya aina ya tapioca, lakini kuna aina nyingine ya tapioca ambayo inaweza kuongeza ladha ya kinywaji hicho. Lulu za kijani-kibichi zina ladha ndogo ya chai ya kijani-kibichi, na ni zenye kutafuna zaidi kuliko mipira ya jadi ya tapioca. Jelly, katika cubes ndogo au vipande rectangular, na ladha kama jelly karanga, konjac, lychee, nyasi, mango, chai ya kijani, au upinde wa mvua (mchanganyiko wa matunda), ina mtiririko mnyororo, karibu crispy. Mchuzi wa maharagwe mekundu au maharagwe ya mung, pia ni toppings ya kawaida kwa ajili ya Taiwanese shaved barafu, kutoa kinywaji ladha ya ziada subtle pamoja na muundo. Aloe, sago, sago, na sago ya mayai pia inaweza kupatikana katika nyumba nyingi za chai ili kukamilisha kikombe kamilifu cha chai ya Bubble. Maduka kwa ujumla ni madogo, kwa hiyo mara nyingi ni kituo kabla ya mikusanyiko ya wanafunzi au shughuli. Utamaduni wa vijana kama huo katika nchi za magharibi husababisha rundo la magazeti (matoleo ya Asia na Amerika), manga ya Kichina, na kuonyesha video za muziki wa pop ya Asia.Kahawa hizi kwa ujumla zina orodha ndogo ya chakula cha wateja wake, kati ya kawaida ya Kuku iliyochomwa na Chumvi na Pilipili (Chumchi) na toast nzito iliyokatwa katika ladha tamu (Tutu). Katika miaka ya 2000, baadhi ya mikahawa ya chai ya Bubble ilijitokeza katika matoleo ya kina zaidi, ikitoa nafasi kubwa, viti bora, na bidhaa za kifahari. Kunywa lulu kupitia kijiti ni kawaida, kwa kawaida kijiti cha kipenyo kikubwa hutolewa ili kukidhi ukubwa maalum wa lulu. Kosa la kawaida kwa wale wasio na uzoefu wa kunywa ni kutolea nje chupa ya maji kabla ya lulu zote kutumiwa, na hivyo kufanya iwe vigumu au haiwezekani kukusanya lulu kwa utupu wa kutosha kwa kutumia kijiti. Historia ya Bubble Tea (Jinsi Yote Ilianza) Kuna maduka mawili ambayo wanadai kuwa muumba wa kwanza wa chai ya Bubble. Liu Hanqiang, ambaye alifanya kazi katika nyumba ya chai ya Chun Shui Tang (Thai) katika mji wa Taichung, Taiwan, mapema miaka ya 1980, alijaribu chai ya maziwa baridi kwa kuongeza matunda, syrup, yams candied, na mipira ya tapioca. Ingawa kinywaji hicho hakikuwa maarufu mwanzoni, kipindi cha televisheni cha Japani kilichochea upendezi miongoni mwa wafanyabiashara. Kinywaji hicho kilijulikana sana katika sehemu nyingi za Mashariki na Kusini-Mashariki mwa Asia wakati wa miaka ya 1990. Chanzo kingine ni Hanlin (翰林) Teahouse katika Tainan City, Taiwan, inayomilikiwa na Tu Tsong He Hanlin. "Kichwa cha chai cha Bubble ni chai ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi.""" Muda mfupi baadaye, Hanlin alibadilisha rangi nyeupe ya fenyuan (粉圓) kuwa nyeusi, kama ilivyo leo. Katika miaka ya 1990, chai ya Bubble ilianza kupata umaarufu katika miji mikubwa ya Amerika Kaskazini na idadi kubwa ya watu wa Asia, haswa wale katika Pwani ya Magharibi na Pwani ya Mashariki na Texas. Mwelekeo huo nchini Marekani ulianzishwa na Lollicup katika mji wa San Gabriel, California na kuenea haraka katika California Kusini. Kinywaji hicho kimepokea umakini mwingi kutoka kwa vyombo vya habari vya kawaida vya Amerika, pamoja na vifuniko kwenye kipindi cha Redio ya Umma ya Kitaifa Morning Edition na Los Angeles Times. Katika nchi za Asia, minyororo ya biashara ya kimataifa na ya ndani inaendelea kuenea katika maeneo ya vitongoji, hasa maeneo yenye idadi kubwa ya watu wa Asia. Sasa maduka ya chai yenye mviringo yanaweza kupatikana katika vituo vya ununuzi na vituo vya ununuzi katika vitongoji. Pia inaweza kupatikana katika idadi ya migahawa ya Kichina na Thai katika na karibu na miji mikubwa na miji ya chuo kikuu. Los Angeles na Orange County kwa sasa zina moja ya mkusanyiko mkubwa wa baa za "boba" nchini Marekani, kwa sababu ya idadi kubwa ya wakazi wa Asia katika mkoa huo. Chai ya Bubble imeenea kimataifa kupitia Chinatowns na jamii nyingine za Asia za ng'ambo. Inaweza kupatikana katika miji mikubwa ya Ulaya kama vile London na Paris. Bubble tea pia inapata umaarufu nchini Canada, hasa katika na karibu na miji ya Kamloops, British Columbia; Vancouver, British Columbia; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Toronto, Ontario; Edmonton, Calgary; Alberta; na Montreal, Quebec ambapo kuna jamii kubwa za Asia-Canada. Pia inapata umaarufu nchini Australia, hasa katika Sydney, Brisbane na Melbourne ambapo wahamiaji na wazao wa Asia wana idadi kubwa ya watu. "Muda mfupi uliopita, chai ya Bubble imeenea haraka katika mji wa Monterrey nchini Mexico, na katika kitongoji cha ""Chinatown"" huko Buenos Aires, Argentina, ambapo jamii za Taiwan zimeanzisha chai hiyo." "Kichina ""Pearl Milk Tea"" ni jina la kichina linalomaanisha ""kinywaji cha maziwa ya lulu"" (kwa Kiingereza: ""bubbling tea"") na hutumiwa kwa ajili ya kuunganisha vyakula mbalimbali katika vinywaji kama vile sukari, maziwa ya unga, chai na barafu."