Pearl milk tea
Pearl milk tea (珍珠奶茶 zhēnzhū năichá) or Boba milk tea (波霸奶茶 bōbà năichá) is a tea drink popular in China and among overseas Chinese, also less commonly known as Black pearl tea, Bubble tea, or Tapioca tea.
Origin
It is said to have originated in Taichung, Taiwan in 1983, by a Taiwanese teashop owner named Liu Han-Chieh, who experimented with cold milk tea by adding fruit, syrup, candied yams and, finally, tapioca balls. Although the drink was not so popular at first, publicity from a Japanese television show made businessmen take notice and it quickly became well known throughout Asia in the 1990s.
Definition
Boba, a Cantonese slang, literally means the "dominatrix of breasts", connoting the image of a busty woman. "Bō" (波) is a slang for the breast which refers to the milk.
In the name "pearl milk tea," the "pearls" refers to the black gummy balls made of tapioca which sit in the mixture of sweetened ice tea and milk and possibly other flavorings.
The balls are generally about 1 cm in diameter and are sucked through a wide straw along with the drink, providing something to chew on between sips. In many cases, when ordering at the counter or a sit-down restaurant, customers are given the option whether they want "boba" or "pearl" in their beverages. Both terms refer to the tapioca balls.
The recipes for boba tea vary and so does the taste, but usually flavouring is added to hot black or green tea which is then shaken in a martini shaker with ice until chilled. Aficionados shop around for their favorite vendors.
Instead of eating the chewy balls, some adolescents like to blow them out from the straw to shoot at targets or at each other.
The tea often accompanies chicken steak (雞排), also a popular snack in Taiwan.
Pearl milk tea usually uses large pearls of the size 7 millimeters or above, since smaller pearls are not as good for chewing. In southern Taiwan, most pearl milk tea use the name "boba milk tea", and the name "pearl milk tea" is used mostly for small sized pearls(much smaller than 1cm in diameter).
Names
Pearl milk tea has now spread internationally, mainly through overseas Chinese communities. It is also known under a number of other names, including:
- bubble tea
- pearl tea
- pearl ice tea
- black pearl ice tea
- QQ drinks - "Kiú" is a Taiwanese slang for chewy
- naicha - Literally, "Milk Tea"
- zhenzhu naicha (Mainland Chinese usage) - Literally, "Pearl Milk Tea"
- boba naicha - Literally, "Boba Milk Tea"
- boba drink
Availability
The tea, regardless of name, is available at small dedicated boba cafes, and at some Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine restaurants. Some Chinese restaurants and take-out delis may advertise a "boba special" promotion - for example, one cup of boba tea might cost only 99 cents with a purchase of a meal. In North America, major chains offering pearl milk tea include Lollicup (also called TeaZone), Quickly outlets, which is a Taiwanese-based chain with many locations worldwide.
There are also many small family-owned boba outlets. The skills of making the tea widely varies.
The boba beverage has moved beyond an ethnic specialty and now appeals to the mainstream. Like Starbucks, boba tea is generally popular among college students. Boba shops are often found nearby or on some university campuses.
Related topic
- Lollicup - Taiwanese American fast food chain specializing in boba tea.
- Q-Cup
