Sipping Streams Tea Company

Bubble Tea originated in Taiwan in the early 1980's at a specialty tea shop where the owner added fruit flavorings to tea and shook it up, giving it a bubbly appearance. Shortly after, tapioca pearls were added to the drink. Since the tapioca balls sit in the bottom of the glass, they also look like resting bubbles, giving the drink its name.

Bubble Tea ingredients are simple, usually consisting of five basic elements. The first component of the drink is a flavor, which can come in a powder form, a flavor puree, or a fresh fruit.

Next, there's a creamer, which can be powder or liquid. The next ingredient is a sweetener. Sugar, simple syrup, and honey are all options.

The main ingredient of the drink is usually a healthy tea, (black jasmine tea is especially nice,) although with the growth of the industry and the experimentations with different forms, the fundamental liquid might also be water or milk.

Finally, the surprise at the bottom of the package! Thick, juicy, softly-chewy pearls of tapioca soaked in sweet flavor wait to be sucked up through an especially thick straw. (No wonder Bubble Tea is so popular. Now even adults can legitimately suck "bubbles" through a straw!)

Other names for this tasty, innovative drink are "pearl tea," "pearl shake," "tapioca ball drink," and "boba" drink.

No matter your age or nationality, who can resist a drink that's sweet, healthy, interesting, different, and has a prize at the bottom?