Bubble tea is a popular drink in many parts of the world. But bubble tea originated in Taiwan, where it is a daily part of their diet. In fact, bubble tea is so ingrained in Taiwanese culture that you can find bubble milk shops on every street corner! In this article, we will discuss the story behind this tasty drink and how it has become so big in such a short period of time.
What is bubble tea?
Bubble tea is a beverage consisting of black tea. The name “bubble” may refer to the sound you hear when you stir the drink with a spoon. However, according to some sources, bubble also means: balloon or splash (which doesn’t come across as noticeable).
The original recipe for that unique taste consists of black tea, suitable sugar and vinegar. The American and Chinese versions of the drink contain a layer of tapioca or boba (soft boiled pea).
Bubble tea has become famous in Taiwan, including in Taipei. There it has gained much notoriety and has even been adapted by the Taiwanese.
Bubble tea is known as “Tong Zhi Cha” in China, where there are also many different variations of it. In Japan, you can stick this drink on a sweet and roasted soup outlined among other things to stay healthy during cold weather.
The history of bubble tea and how it became a Taiwanese tradition
The history of bubble tea goes way back, to the time of the Roman Empire. At that time, there were already experiences with soft berries, but no bubble tea at that time. However, the original version was much sweeter and contained more sugar than we are used to today. In the 1980s, bubble tea first arrived in Taiwan. It was named for the gently bubbly that accompanies it. The rise of bubble tea was partly due to the fact that many Taiwanese eventually left their homes and moved away to study or work elsewhere, which necessitated bringing something drinkable along the way. Thus, they often utilized bubble tea as a drink, partly due to its good nutritional values.
How did bubble tea become big in Taiwan?
Since a few years Bubble Tea has also conquered the Dutch market, which means that this drink is now for sale in every store. It probably took a while for bubble tea to rise to this level, as it was only in 2001 that the Netherlands began to see an accelerated rise in the popularity of this drink, and within the foreseeable future it would be impossible to imagine life without it!
