bubble tea

[ buhb-uhl tee ]

noun

1. a frothy East Asian beverage consisting of sweetened tea with milk or flavorings, usually served over black pellets, or pearls, of tapioca.

bubble tea

noun

1. a cold drink, originally from Taiwan, of tea infused with fruit flavouring, shaken to produce bubbles, and served over tapioca pearls in a clear cup. It is usually drunk through a very wide straw

Word History and Origins

Origin of bubble tea¹

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

On an episode of CBC's Dragon's Den, the owners of a Quebec bubble tea brand called Bobba pitched their drink to potential investors, including Liu, arguing that they were "disturbing" the popular bubble tea market by using only three simple ingredients to "transform" the beverage into a "convenient and healthier" experience.

From BBC

Liu pushed back against the entrepreneurs, accusing them of appropriating the Taiwanese drink, known as boba or bubble tea, which has became popular around the world.

From BBC

"I'm concerned about this idea of disrupting or disturbing bubble tea", Liu said as a guest on the star show.

From BBC

They added that they would be re-evaluating their branding, packaging and marketing strategies to "ensure that they reflect a respectful and accurate representation of our Taiwanese partnership and bubble tea’s cultural roots".

From BBC

Simu Liu is hustling to turn down the heat on a Canadian bubble tea company after criticism of its televised sales pitch to the Marvel superhero boiled over online.

From Los Angeles Times

More About Bubble Tea

What does bubble tea mean?

Bubble tea, also known as boba, is a Taiwanese drink of tea infused with milk or fruit and served over tapioca balls, called bubbles or boba.

How is bubble tea pronounced?

[ buhb–uhl tee ]

Where does bubble tea come from?

Bubble tea is usually said to have originated in Taiwan in the 1980s when a teahouse manager thought to put some tapioca balls—sweet, chewy globs usually made from cassava—into some cold tea.

In Taiwan, bubble tea is natively called pearl milk tea in Chinese, with the tapioca balls likened to pearls. In English, these balls are called bubbles, sometimes rendered as boba in Chinese and with boba sometimes used in the U.S. for the entire beverage.

The drink spread in Taiwan and East Asia in the 1990s and made the jump to the US in the 2000s, first spreading in cities with Taiwanese populations like San Francisco and New York, thanks especially to entrepreneurs like Boba Guys.

While bubble tea is traditionally made with black or white tapioca balls, other popular types include clear, flavored, popping, and mini boba. The tea can be served hot or, more commonly, iced and made from various teas, including, black, green, white, and herbal blends. Essential to the drink is its wide straw for slurping every last little boba.

How is bubble tea used in real life?

Bubble tea is a popular drink all around the world and comes in a wide variety of flavors. Major cities all around the world boast shops selling bubble tea. There’s a bubble tea emoji, and even National Bubble Tea Day, an informal holiday marked on April 30th. Keep in mind that bubble tea pearls can be choking hazards for children.

Twitter has rolled out its latest emoji update, which includes Smiling Face with Tear, People Hugging, Bubble Tea and the Pinched Fingers, across its platforms on May 11, 2020. pic.twitter.com/Y7T73Zzq0i

— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) May 13, 2020

It might not have the global appeal of bubble tea, but papaya milk probably tells more about Taiwan's beverage culture via @Goldthread2 https://t.co/ZjAlk4CAXx

— SCMP News (@SCMPNews) May 12, 2020

 

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.