Bubble tea
Bubble tea (also known as pearl milk tea, bubble milk tea, tapioca milk tea, boba tea, or boba; Chinese: 珍珠奶茶; pinyin: zhēnzhū nǎichá, 波霸奶茶; bōbà nǎichá) is a tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s. Taiwanese immigrants brought it to the United States in the 1990s, initially in California through regions including Los Angeles County, but the drink has also spread to other countries where there is a large East Asian diaspora population.
A cup of bubble tea | |
| Alternative names | Boba Pearl milk tea Boba milk tea Boba tea Boba nai cha Tapioca tea |
|---|---|
| Course | Drink |
| Place of origin | Taiwan |
| Region or state | Worldwide |
| Serving temperature | Hot or Cold |
| Main ingredients | Tapioca, milk, creamer, brewed tea, sugar, flavorings |
Bubble tea most commonly consists of tea accompanied by chewy tapioca balls ("boba" or "pearls"), but it can be made with other toppings as well, such as grass jelly, aloe vera, red bean, and popping boba. It has many varieties and flavors, but the two most popular varieties are pearl black milk tea and pearl green milk tea ("pearl" for the tapioca balls at the bottom).