Bubble tea is a drink that originated in Taiwan in the 1980's. Bubble tea refers to the entire drink, is quite often mistakenly called Boba, which refers to just the balls inside the drink. Mostly, it is a sweet and addictive drink, leading to its huge fan base and an incredible rise in popularity throughout Asia and now the rest of the world.

Originally, bubble tea is a sweet milk tea, with tapioca pearls inside. Tapioca are chewy balls made from the starch of the cassava plant.
Nowadays, bubble tea has evolved and there are many adaptations to the original recipes. There is an abundance of bubble tea stores worldwide.

Generally speaking, bubble tea can be categorised to Milk Tea, or Fruit Tea. In addition, some stores have fruit slush on their menu.
Several hundred variants of bubble tea now exist.
Enthusiasts can enjoy their bubble tea how they prefer by modifying: temperature, sugar levels, type of milk, type of tea, toppings, flavour etc. Bubble Tea stores are flourishing and explore their creativity by adding their own flair to bubble tea.

Taiwan still remains the world leader in all things bubble tea, with other countries also keen to take part. Developments mean that instant bubble tea powders can give enthusiasts a similar experience without having to leave their homes. Ingredients have become widely available in stores, also allowing enthusiasts to experiment their creativity.