A light brown liquid containing little pea-sized black globules in a plastic cup: When drinking bubble tea for the first time, you might well wonder if such a concoction can really taste good. But there must be something to it. The international hype surrounding bubble tea and the long lines of fans and curious newcomers at bubble tea shops around the world prove that there is more to this beverage than meets the eye.
Manioc, the potato of the tropics: It can weigh up to 15 kilos.A Dumpling Drink?
The small black globules that float in the sweetened green or black tea with milk are sucked up through thick straws and taste of nothing in particular. Their consistency is soft on the outside like Jell-O and chewy on the inside like chewing gum. These pearls are made from the tropical manioc root, which is known as the "potato of the tropics" due to its high starch content. The root is processed into a powder (tapioca) and mixed with syrup, providing the basic ingredient for the "bubbles." You could say it's a tropical dumpling of sorts. But that isn't completely accurate as these small bubbles contain high amounts of iron, calcium and vitamin C, making bubble tea practically a health beverage. However, moderation is advised: Because 30 of those little bubbles amount to about 400 calories thereby making the beverage a hearty meal.
Strawberry bubble tea: Just one of many bubble tea flavors and colors.So Who Came Up With This Drink?
The drink was created in Taiwan in the ‘80s. Allegedly, two tea companies in the country still squabble over who invented it. While they still fought over the particulars in Taiwan, the beverage continued to gain popularity around the world during the '90s. Australia, the US and even Europe got caught up in bubble tea fever. Bubble tea bars began to spring up across the globe, especially in major cities. In its homeland, bubble tea remains extremely popular and has anchored itself into Taiwan's culinary culture. About 50,000 shops sell more than 180 million bubble teas every day. By comparison, the largest and likely most well-known coffee house brand in the world operates only 17,000 shops in 55 countries.
Bubble tea shop owners have long recognized that the traditional tapioca pearls are not everyone's cup of tea. This led to new variations arising over the past ten years such as "popping bobas" – little fruit juice-filled bubbles that burst in the mouth. Mango, green apple and coconut flavored tea, juice and syrups are also available. In other words, there's nothing you can't find in these tea shops. The experimentation and constant new flavors seem to know no end – until the next trend comes along.