Bubble Tea History : eBay Guides

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Bubble Tea History

Although it is difficult to trace back exactly its first origins, most experts believe that bubble tea first originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s. Some specifically trace its origins back to Taiwanese tea shop owner, Liu Han Chieh, who experimented with cold milk tea in 1983. It is believed that he first experimented with fruit, syrup, candied yams, and then eventually tapioca pearls. Originally, the drink did not catch on until it received attention and publicity from a Japanese television show. Following that, bubble tea rapidly gained interest in the 1990s. Now, it has become an international drink as its popularity continues to grow worldwide.

Bubble tea is also commonly known as (in alphabetical order):

• BBT
• Bubble Milk Tea
• Bubble Tea Drink
• Boba
• Boba Drink
• Boba Nai Cha - "Nai Cha" means 'milk tea' in Chinese
• Boba Tea
• Momi
• Momi Milk Tea
• Pearl Milk Tea
• Pearl Sago Tea - When pearl sago is used instead of tapioca
• Pearl Tea
• QQ Drinks - "Q" is Taiwanese slang for chewy
• Tapioca Pearl Tea
• Tapioca Tea
• Tran Chau - Vietnamese Usage
• Zhen Zhu Nai Cha - "Zhen Zhu" means 'pearls' and "Nai Cha" means 'milk tea' in Chinese

Bubble tea was originally called 'bubble' tea because of the bubbles that would appear after vigorously shaking the drink in a cocktail shaker, not because of the boba (tapioca pearls). However, since the tapioca pearls were later added to it, the name further solidified as 'bubble tea' because now the drink had bubbles both on the top (froth) and on the bottom (tapioca pearls) of the drink. 

*Click here to try bubble tea / boba tea