Bubble Tea is gReat – we all know that (I mean, I assume that’s why you’re here). So while we’re at it, how about we run down some interesting, quirky facts about boba?
1. Its invention wasn’t grand ol’ life changing.
Bubble Tea was actually invented by accident! A product development manager for a tea house in Taitung was at a meeting. She was enjoying some iced Assam (tea), and some fen yuan (a sweet tapioca dessert). Super bored at this meeting, she found herself dropping the beloved fen yuan into her drink. The taste was an utter shock, and became a huge hit.
2. What does boba mean? It’s not what you think.
In Chinese, boba is a combination for “bubble” and “big.” In slang, this is used to describe one with “big watermelons” or “big girls” if you know what I mean (; thank goodness we’ve strayed from that! So be careful when you say “boba” in Taiwan! (where it originated)
3. Bubble Tea, boba tea… WHAT’S IT CALLED!
There’s actually a variety of names for this beverage including (but not limited to): milk tea, foam milk tea, pearl tea, tapioca tea, and many more.
4. “Bubble Tea” isn’t what you think it is...?
The term “bubble” doesn’t actually describe the chewy tapioca pearls that our consumers love. In fact, it refers to the foam that is formed at the top of the drink after the mixer shakes it. I guess it’s pure coincidence that the pearls added really do look like bubbles!
5. Where do these chewy lil things come from?
Boba is actually a root called cassava. The starch is extracted and then shaped into the chewy balls we know as tapioca pearls. Who would’ve thought something as eccentric as that came from something so simple?
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