What is Boba Tea?
Boba tea, also known as bubble tea, originated in Taiwan during the 1980s. From there, it spread across Asia and eventually became a global phenomenon by the 1990s and 2000s.
Boba refers to the chewy tapioca pearls that are a key ingredient in bubble tea, a popular Taiwanese drink that combines tea with milk, fruit, or flavor syrups. The drink gets its name from the bubbles or froth that form when it’s shaken before serving, though the pearls themselves are also often called “boba.”
Here’s a breakdown of the key aspects:
- Tapioca Pearls: Made from tapioca starch (extracted from the cassava root), boba pearls are boiled until they become soft and chewy. They are typically black (from caramel or brown sugar) but can come in a variety of colors.
- Bubble Tea: A drink that originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, bubble tea usually features a base of black or green tea combined with milk, fruit, or other flavorings. The drink can be served cold or hot, and the boba pearls are added to the drink for texture.
- Flavors and Variations: While traditional bubble tea has tea and milk with boba, there are many variations like fruit-flavored teas, smoothies, or slushies. Other toppings such as popping boba (which fruit juice burst in your mouth) or jellies can also be added.
Drinking boba is typically done with a fat straw to allow the pearls to be sucked up along with the tea.
Boba, or tapioca pearls, are primarily made from tapioca starch, which is derived from the cassava root, a robust tropical tuber introduced to Asia from South America through maritime trade routes in the late 18th century. Cassava yields tapioca starch that, when combined with water, creates a soft and chewy texture. However, it is often blended with sweet potato starch, which is firmer, to give the final boba a sturdier structure.
Boba is very high maintenance and it does not last very long after they are cooked!
See how we get the perfect boba sweetness and consistency on our Boba Recipes page!