On this day, we celebrate this quirky beverage, also known as “Boba” or ‘Pearl Tea,” originated in Taiwan.
The creamy sweet tea is garnished with tapioca balls that resemble pearly bubbles floating on top.
In the 1980s, Taiwanese night markets already featured shaken tea and milk drinks. It was the addition of doughy black and white tapioca ball garnishments that truly captured people’s fascination.
Two tearooms in Taiwan stake claim to inventing bubble tea: Chun Shui Tang in Taichung and Hanlin Tea Room in Tainan. Regardless of who gets the credit, bubble tea has become Taiwan’s iconic export of the 21st century. It eventually made its way to West Coast American university campuses in the 1990s, thanks to Taiwanese students.
So, on National Bubble Tea Day, indulge in the sweet, creamy goodness of this beloved drink and perhaps even discover new flavors.
