Bubble tea

From Free net encyclopedia

Bubble tea is a tea beverage with tapioca balls mixed in. Bubble tea is generally split into two types: fruit flavored teas and milk teas. Milk teas may use dairy or non-dairy creamers. Originating in Taiwan, bubble tea is especially popular in Asian countries such as China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. The drink is also popular in Europe, Canada, and the United States.

1 Definition
2 Origin
3 Names
4 Availability
5 Trivia
6 See also
7 Bubble tea vendors
8 External links

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Definition

Bubble tea consists of a mixture of iced or hot sweetened tea, milk, and possibly other flavorings. The beverage is shaken, producing the small bubbles characteristic of the name. Black gummy balls made of tapioca, called "pearls," sit at the bottom of the cup. The pearls, much larger than those found in tapioca pudding, have a diameter of at least 6 millimeters, but smaller balls are occasionally used. The pearls are sucked through a wide straw along with the drink, providing something to chew on between sips.

When ordering, customers are often asked whether they want "boba" or "pearls" in their beverages, and both terms refer to the tapioca balls (the name 'boba' is derived from the Taiwanese word for breasts). An hour is required to prepare the tapioca, and in the preparation and cooking of the tapioca, the pearls expand considerably. After this period, the tapioca is drained from the water, poured into a sugar and water solution, and are ready to use.

Another alternative to the traditional tapioca balls is coconut jelly, a lighter option. Coconut jelly is served in small cubes and has a sweet, crunchy consistency. They add a new dimension to bubble tea and are often ordered "half and half," meaning half pearls and half coconut jelly.

Finally the last alternative to the tradition tapioca or jelly balls are known as "Beetle eggs". Being a rather new entry into the bubble tea arena, their popularity has yet to catch on. It looks almost exactly like the standard tapioca balls, but it is theorized they are the gourmet delicacy eggs of a special black beetle. Its rising popularity in electic sections of europe is worthy to note.

The recipes for bubble tea vary, but flavoring is usually added to hot black or green tea, which is shaken in a cocktail shaker or mixed in blender with ice until chilled. The mixture is usually combined with milk and softened tapioca pearls. Most cafes that serve bubble tea also use a machine to seal to the top of the cup with a plastic cellophane, which a drinker pierces with a straw.

Some cafes use a nondairy milk substitute to replace milk; the substitute adds a distinct flavor and consistency to the final product. The possible reason for a nondairy milk substitute is the lactose intolerance of many Asian people.

The flavorings added to bubble tea are usually fruity and can be powders, fruit juice, pulp, or syrups. Sellers sometimes differentiate between bubble tea made with fruit pulp, juice, and pearls; and green, black, or brown milk teas.

Bubble tea can also refer to hot Hong Kong-style milk tea with tapioca balls.

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Origin

Bubble tea supposedly originated in Taichung, Taiwan during the early 1980s. A Taiwanese tea shop owner named Nancy Yang (楊勵媛) experimented with cold milk tea by adding fruit, syrup, candied yams and, finally, tapioca balls. Although the drink was not popular at first, publicity from a Japanese television show caused businessmen to take notice. The drink became well known throughout Asia in the 1990s.

During the late 1990s, in United States and Canada, bubble tea began to gain popularity in major North American cities with large Asian populations, mainly those on the West Coast. The craze started in the city of San Gabriel, California, and quickly spread throughout Southern California.Template:Citationneeded This unique beverage has received attention in American mainstream media, including covers on National Public Radio show Morning Edition and the Los Angeles Times. Bubble tea has spread internationally through Chinatowns and other overseas Asian communities. However, in the US, franchises such as Quickly and Lollicup are expanding into suburban areas, generally those with large Asian populations. Bubble tea can also be found in major European cities, such as London and Paris.

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Names

Bubble tea is known under a variety of other names, including:

black pearl tea
black pearl ice tea
boba drink
波霸奶茶 bōbà nǎichá — literally "large breast" milk tea.
boba milk tea (Chinese: 波霸奶茶; pinyin: bōbà nǎichá)
bubble milk tea
milk pearl tea
奶茶 naicha — literally, "milk tea"
pearl ice tea
pearl milk tea (珍珠奶茶; zhēnzhū nǎichá)
pearl sago [milk] tea — in English only; usually used for canned varieties where pearl sago (西米; xīmǐ; Cantonese: sai¹ mai⁵) is used instead of tapioca.
pearl tea
ชาไข่มุก, ชามุก literally, pearl tea
QQ drinks — kiú is Taiwanese slang for "chewy"
tapioca drink
tapioca tea
trà trân châu (equivalent to 茶珍珠, literally "pearl tea") (Vietnamese)
珍珠奶茶 zhēnzhū nǎichá (Putonghua, Taiwanese and overseas Chinese usage) — literally, "pearl milk tea"

In southern Taiwan, pearl milk tea with large pearls are usually called "boba milk tea", while those with small pearls are called "pearl milk tea".

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Availability

Bubble tea is available at small dedicated boba cafes and some restaurants. Most bubble tea stores serve a variety of drinks, including coffee, juices, and fruit freezes, which are sometimes also called bubble tea, even though they do not contain any tea ingredients. These drinks can include flavors which are less familiar to non-Asians, such as taro, honeydew, or lychee—as well as the familiar chocolate, Ovaltine, or strawberry— may be available with or without tapioca pearls. Hot versions with tapioca pearls are also common.

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Trivia

In September 2004, while defending a US$18 billion weapon purchase plan, the ROC Ministry of National Defense used bubble tea as an example of the overall cost of the proposed purchase. The Ministry stated that the total cost of the weapons systems would be equivalent to the money saved if all Taiwanese drank one fewer pearl milk tea per week for a period of twenty years.

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