What is this bubble tea? Bubble
tea, also known as; pearl tea, boba, momi, QQ and any number of other names is
looking to be far more of a trend than a fad. Old news to anyone hanging out
anywhere near an Asian community the fun drink made with nearly anything found
in a tea or coffee shop seems about to go very mainstream.
Legend has it that a teashop owner named
Liu Han-Chieh invented the drink in 1983 and it took hold quickly in its native
Taiwan. The general idea is to add large cooked (but not mushy) tapioca pearls
to tea and coffee drinks. For those who find the idea of tapioca revolting this
is very different from what you probably associate with tapioca. The relatively
flavorless pearls are chewy and fun to look at. It comes in a myriad of forms
ranging from an otherwise traditional iced tea infusion to something akin to a
fruit smoothie. Even coffee gets into the game sometimes. The beads sit on the
bottom of the drink and are sucked up through the signature large straws one
always gets with the drinks. Bubble tea comes in a variety of eye catching
pastel colors and has the added bonus to shop keepers that it is an easy
addition to most coffee, tea or smoothie menus but is a royal pain to make at
home and without the aforementioned fat straw it isn’t worth having.
There are hundreds of locations selling bubble tea on the west coast and
it is fairly easy to get on quick trips to Chinatown in New York but it remains
a little hard to find in Chicago. I can’t imagine it will be long before
someone like Starbucks has it on the menu but it is well worth the hunt if you
haven’t tried it.
Contributed By JT Barnhart
Bubble Tea links
http://www.bobafind.com/
http://www.bubbletea.com
http://www.whatscookingamerica.net/BubbleTea.htm
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My 55-year-old father was in the NYC a week ago, and on a whim I stopped into the bubble tea store by my Soho/Chinatown office. Even though he is open to trying new things, he has never really traveled the world. So the bubble tea experience was a great one to introduce him to the East…coast. He loved it and was upset that they don’t sell it in Indiana. Funny, I never thought I would bond with my father over tapioca.
March 28th, 2005 at 11:03 am
Mr. J.T., you give me sad sentimental flashbacks! Oh, how I miss the scrumptious hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurant that closed last year! To think that we Fort Waynesters could still be enjoying the sweet chewy goodness of bubble tea! Not to mention THE BEST fresh raw spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce EVER! I could have eaten their food everyday with pleasure, frequently indulging in bubble tea, of course!
It must be noted to those who have not yet had the pleasure of bubble tea that the experience can be a bit like boogers and mucus, so be forewarned! You absolutely MUST at least TRY it, however; if you decide that it isn’t for you, I’LL gladly drink your share of “booger tea”!
It’s been awhile since I’ve had a Thai iced tea at Fort Wayne’s “Baan Thai” restaurant, but I do believe that it is served as bubble tea as is their iced coffee. Check it out!
March 28th, 2005 at 12:56 pm
Introducing friends to “boba tea”, here in Denver, is always an amusing experience for me. Walking into the brightly colored Lollicup, my friend takes a look at the menu and usually asks me, with a questioning look, “What’s milk tea?” I usually respond by asking if they like chai tea and then explain from there. Of course, explaining what it is, if they haven’t had chai tea, or don’t like chai, that’s a bit more challenging.
When the person behind the counter asks my friend if he or she wants boba to be added, my friend turns to me with a puzzled look. I ask for a sample, so my friend can try- it’s easier than trying to explain. Always, after chewing the boba, my friend’s eyes light up and finally say “YES” to adding boba to their drink.
After they get their drink, I get my favorite drink: taro milk tea, with boba and lychee.
Then my friend asks what lychee is… :)
March 28th, 2005 at 2:13 pm
Been blogging about the ‘infamous bubble tea’ a long while back and while it is still not a ‘common household drink’, here in H-Town (Houston, TX that is) trendy cafe’s having been ballooning up everywhere with FREE Wi-Fi (try to even beat that Starbuck dudes!). The addition of TAPIOCA to fave liquid concoctions is akin to what they say about Marmite. You either love it or you hate it. As for me, I love it – the Marmite too! (and no, not together.) I have to say, there’s something definitely sensuous about having balls in your mouth to play with …. ah, that’s another blog comment altogether, isn’t it.
March 28th, 2005 at 3:08 pm
I am looking for Bubble Tea in Colorado but don’t seem to be able to find it. Any suggestions?
Thanks
July 8th, 2005 at 10:07 am