by Kaitlyn Ko

As my family scrambled to finish our last hour of packing, my dad completed the most important task before we left: getting everyone’s bubble tea order:

“Taro milk tea with 50% sugar and no ice.” 

“Kumquat green tea with 70% sugar and light ice.” 

“Brown sugar milk tea add boba.” 

Despite how rushed we were, we couldn’t forget to get our last bubble tea before leaving Taiwan. The popular drink found on every block in Taiwan was a rare commodity for us returning to Wisconsin.

Perhaps it is a blessing that there is no good bubble tea in Wisconsin — drinking it almost every day when I’m in Taiwan is unhealthy enough. The boba in bubble tea may be made from cassava root, but the calories and sugar differentiate it from being a vegetable. According to a research study published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, “long-term consumption of bubble tea can lead to anxiety and depression-like behaviors and impair cognitive function in mice” (Yao). The high levels of sugar and carbs in boba were detrimental to the mice, and will most likely have the same effect on humans if consumed in high quantities, according to the study.

Shaken teas, called shou yao teas (手搖茶), were introduced by mixologist Chang Fan Shu in the 1940s (Wong). The name “bubble tea” actually originated from the bubbles that appear after shaking the drink, not the tapioca pearls that look like bubbles, contrary to popular belief (Orozco). These customizable teas have been a staple in Taiwanese culture, similar to how coffee is consumed in the States. It is standard for people to adjust the sugar and ice levels of their drinks. A bobarista once told me that it is easy to identify tourists ordering boba: they will keep both ice and sugar levels at 100%. 

Though shaken teas have been around for years, it wasn’t until the late 20th century that someone first put tapioca pearls into tea. The creator of this novel drink is still debated, but there is no doubt that bubble tea has quickly become the most trendy beverage in Taiwan, growing to encompass more toppings like white or black pearls, pudding, red bean, taro, sago, fruit jellies, grass jelly, popping boba, and more (“Bubble Tea”). Today, boba tea shops have expanded their menus beyond milk tea to taro, Thai tea, matcha, fruit teas, and even smoothies or shakes. Any drink with toppings can now be considered bubble tea, also commonly known as “boba” due to the classic black boba pearls.