Bubble Tea anyone??

In recent years I’ve noticed bubble tea shops popping up in my city and having seen them at home, I’ve become a little more aware of these shops in my travels to other foreign countries, especially Asia.

I remember the first time when I saw one of these shops, it somewhat piqued my interest. Initially I assumed this drink got its name from the little balls in the drink. And the pictures on the tea shop depicted a fun drink, with many colours, interesting little round things sitting at the bottom of the cup and it looked coolly refreshing for a warm summer day.

I also thought this was just another trend that would fade away and I was so wrong.

The bubble tea market is hot and shows no sign of slowing down. This drink also commonly known as “boba tea” is becoming mainstream with its expanding selections and recipes.

Well here are some facts.

Those “bubbles” or what I initially described as “round things” are tapioca balls. However, that is not how the tea derived its name. It’s actually from the layer of bubbles that form on top of the drink when shaken. The tapioca balls are called “pearls” and are edible and consumed with the beverage.

When you buy this drink, you are given a fairly thick straw and the reason for that is so that the tapioca balls can be sucked through the straw.

I don’t think this drink is for everyone. Some of us like it, and even love it and then there are some of use who absolutely just don’t like it. I don’t want to use the word “hate” because that is just too strong a word for “tea”.

But just as an aside on this, if you have not had a good experience with this beverage, it could be that you may not have tasted the right one so don’t give up on it. As I expand on this website, I will provide some information on where to get some of the best bubble tea.


Iced or Hot Sweetened Tea

There are different variations today. The original version consists of hot black tea, tapioca pearls, condensed milk and honey.

As the drink increased in popularity, new varieties became available. Iced varieties were added to the menu, with a hint of peach or plum flavours. Slowly, more fruits joined the family, like, mango, strawberry, passion fruit and coconut.


Recipes for Bubble Tea

The recipes vary. Some are made with fresh fruits, milk and crushed ice which creates a milk shake type drink.

Depending on your preference, you can also add fruit pulp and powdered flavouring.

If you want the authentic drink, include tea in the recipe, infused by your favourite flavouring.

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