Some people who come into the shop and ask “What is Bubble Tea, anyway?” The item on the menu catches their eye because they have heard of it, but never actually seen it. First a little history before I get into the details. Bubble tea is an up and coming drink that is established on the West Coast and some urban areas on the West Coast. Bubble Tea or more traditionally called Boba Tea originates from Taiwan. The boba or bubbles has nothing to do with fizz, but rather tapioca pearls. Wait…What? tapioca in a drink? Exactly and that is what makes Bubble Tea different from any other drink you’ve had before.
The way we describe Bubble Tea is to say it is a melted milkshake which comes in flavors like black tea, green tea, blueberry, almond, honeydew, coconut, mango, pineapple, strawberry, red bean and my favorite taro. So if sweet and creamy fruit flavored melted milkshake isn’t enough, at the bottom of the drink reside tapioca pearls. They taste like soft gummy bears. You drink this drink using an extra wide straw to make sure you get a healthy does of the tea and pearls all at once.
So yes, it is a polarizing drink where people are either addicted to it or they can’t get past the combination of textures. For those that try it are usually rewarded with a new favorite drink.