Boba Expert Article

Black Bubbles: An Insight on the Drink Taking Over America
By Raza "Boba Connoisseur" Zaidi

(Source: foodspotting.com)

It’s 100 degrees outside, and you’re looking for a cold, refreshing drink. You start debating between a smoothie and an iced coffee. Suddenly, someone with a peculiar drink walks by you. It looks like tea, but what are those black balls? You see more and more people drinking this. You’re intrigued. All of a sudden, you find yourself in front of a Quicklys. You purchase the drink. You take a sip.

This is the situation many millennials face before they’re hooked on boba. Now I’m sure some of you may be wondering what boba is, and how it became so popular. While others more accustomed to boba may want recommendations from a “boba connoisseur”. Don’t worry, I’ve made accommodations for everyone. So just sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight.

What is Boba?

Boba. Bubble tea. Pearl milk tea. Tapioca tea. These names are all synonymous to each other. But, what exactly are they? At its essence, it’s a concoction of a tea base and milk, with tapioca balls added in. However, once you’ve seen a menu at a boba shop, you’ll find out that it’s not limited to that. (understatement of the century)

(Gong Cha, LA)

(Source: http://betagongcha.weebly.com)

Now I’m sure many of you are confused with all the information presented. Especially the menu. That confuses me sometimes too. But, a little turbulence is to be expected. That’s why I’m here to guide you.

As previously mentioned, the two main components of boba are the:

• Tea
• Toppings

Tea

Well, what’s so important about tea? In boba, it’s almost everything. Literally. Think of the tea as the main flavor. But, since when does tea have flavor? Well, boba changes the game.

Boba stores have found ways to innovate and create different flavors through the tea component Usually, boba is served with milk tea, but fruits have changed the game (Kaufman 2017). So why are fruits so important now? Well, fruits allow tea to have endless combinations. All of a sudden your average milk tea can be a mango milk tea. At the same time, it can be a fruit tea without the milk. It doesn't stop there. You can mix different flavors of fruits. Boba shops such as Tpumps capitalize on mixing different flavors together. 

However, the combinations don't stop there. Although the tea brings most of the flavor, its always complemented by the toppings.

Toppings

Just like tea, there are a wide variety of toppings to choose from. All the way from aloe vera to mini mochi. But, the topping I’m going to talk about is the staple. It’s those mysterious black balls. So, what are these balls even called? You’ve actually read the name several times by now. They’re called boba. To quickly clarify, the name boba refers to both the name of the ball as well as the entire drink itself.

So, let’s get deeper into boba. They’re chewy in texture, black in color, sweet in taste, and spherical in shape. What are they even made of? This.

(Source: www.timeinc.net)

Well, kind of. They’re made from tapioca which is extracted from this. So, what is this? These are cassava roots. Fun fact: if prepared incorrectly, the root can produce cyanide (Kwok 2008). But in terms of boba, don’t worry. This is only true for the root itself. Just don’t mess with this plant. The important thing here is the tapioca.

So, what exactly is tapioca, and how do we transform them into magical, black balls? Well, tapioca is a starch extracted from the cassava root, which can be made into flour (Thomson 2015). This flour is exactly what the boba is made from. Although, it doesn’t quite look the same yet.

(Source: https://nuts.com)

I’m sure you may be surprised by the white color. Let me add that this boba is also hard. Pretty much contradicts everything I said about boba. However, the magic happens once you boil it in water. After around 30 minutes of boiling, the boba gains its signature chewy texture (Alexander 2001). To get the sweet taste, sweeteners such as sugar or honey are added during this process. All that’s left is to wait for it to cool. Afterwards, add it to the tea and enjoy.

(Source: www.bobastore.com)

Before we move on, I need to quickly highlight the unsung hero in all this. The big straw. If you haven’t already realized, most of the toppings for boba are also big. You’re welcome for cracking the age-old mystery of why people drink boba with a big straw.

(Source: https://bubbleteashoponline.co.za/)

Now that you understand the roots (hah) behind boba, let’s move on to how it became so popular.

How did it become so popular?

So, what’s behind the drink that’s recently skyrocketed in popularity? How have boba shops garnered titles such as the “Asian Starbucks”? In order to find out, let’s start by going to the origin of boba.

Origin 

If you’re a fan of Spiderman, I’m sure you were happy with the latest installation. Solely because it wasn’t another origin story. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about this. But, don’t worry. I’ll make this interesting enough to get a sequel.

Let’s get right into it. It all started in the city of Taichung, Taiwan (Kaufman 2017). A man by the name of Peter Parker got bit by a spider—oops, wrong story. In actuality, the origin of boba is unclear. Many different tea companies claim to have been the creator (people competing to get Wikipedia fame). However, the widely accepted story is that a man named Liu Han Chie created it. In the early 1980s, he experimented with cold milk by adding various things such as tapioca balls (Willard 2013).

(Maps are cool)

(Source: http://media.radiosai.org)

By the 1990s, the drink became popular in most parts of east Asia. What would become of this drink? Find out in the next section of Dragon Ball Z. (props to you if you understand the meme)

Global Takeover 

Well, it looks like I’m able to write the sequel. So, what happened to boba? In the 2000s, it spread to many regions across the world. Notably, the United States, Europe, and Australia (Willard 2013). Although, at first it wasn’t super popular. Hence, the question becomes how did boba become a staple drink in the United States?

The answer lies in the market. According to the Tea Association of the U.S.A., an astounding 87 percent of American millennials drink tea (Kaufman 2017). With such a major demographic as the target audience, marketing plays a large role in the ongoing popularization of boba. For example, you see many boba shops targeting university students via events and advertising. On top of that, the boba market has a compounded annual growth rate of 7.3% due to increased demand for flavored tea (Bubble 2017). However, the most influential catalyst that brought boba to where it is now, is without a doubt social media. More specifically, Instagram.

Currently, pictures of boba flood the stream of Instagram. This platform morphed boba from just another drink to an attractive and aesthetically pleasing product. On top of that, it also serves as free advertising for many boba shops. Now, with over 700 million users on Instagram, the popularity of boba is only going to increase further.

(Source: http://ot-foodspotting-production.s3.amazonaws.com/)

Recommendations

Congratulations. You (hopefully) learned something new about boba. I’m sure you want to drink some now. But, the question is what to drink and where? Don’t worry. As the pilot, I’m here to safely land the flight. So, here are my personal recommendations.

        1. Milk Tea w/ Pearls (Fantasia Coffee & Tea)

            

(Source: www.pinterest.com)

         Nothing beats drinking the original milk tea! Although simple, Fantasia serves a great take on             this classic.

        2. Thai Tea (7 Leaves Café)

     (Source: www.yelp.com)

Feeling something sweet? 7 Leaves Café offers a delicious version of this tea. Don’t forget to  add boba!

              

        3. Brown Sugar Milk Tea (Gong Cha) 

(Source: www.yelp.com)

         Brown sugar? What’s the difference? Taste it. Head over to Gong Cha. It’ll be worth your time.           Trust me.

Well, that concludes our flight. Now it's all in your hands. What boba will you choose to drink next? 

Works Cited

Alexander, Karen. "What the Chic Drink Now: Tea With Gummy Balls." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 06 Jan. 2001. Web.

"Bubble Tea Market Analysis 2017-2023: Key Findings, Regional Analysis, Key Players Profiles and Future Prospects." WKTV News. N.p., 11 Aug. 2017. Web.

Kaufman, Joanne. "Bubble Tea Purveyors Continue to Grow Along With Drink’s Popularity." The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Aug. 2017. Web.

Kwok, Joey. "Cyanide Poisoning and Cassava." Centre for Food Safety - Food Safety Focus - Cyanide Poisoning and Cassava. Centre for Food Safety, Feb. 2008. Web.

Min, Jae Eun, David B. Green, and Loan Kim. "Calories and Sugars in Boba Milk Tea: Implications for Obesity Risk in Asian Pacific Islanders." Food Science & Nutrition. N.p., 29 Mar. 2016. Web.

Thomson, Julie R. "So What Exactly Is Tapioca, Anyway?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 14 July 2015. Web.

Willard, Haley. "What Is Bubble Tea and Where Did It Come From?" The Daily Meal. N.p., 3 Dec. 2013. Web.