What is Chinese bubble tea made of?

tapioca pearls
Bubble tea is a drink made from tea (usually black tea), milk, syrup, and a special ingredient that captivates the hearts of Chinese people: tapioca pearls. Bubble tea is also known as 珍珠奶茶 (Zhen Zhu Nai Cha) directly translates to pearl milk tea, but is also known as boba tea in parts of the world.

What do Asians call bubble tea?

boba
Since then, chains like Tapioca Express, Quickly, Lollicup and Q-Cup emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s, bringing the Taiwanese bubble tea trend to the US. Within the Asian American community, bubble tea is commonly known under its colloquial term “boba”.

Is bubble tea really Asian?

Bubble Tea is one of the few tea preparations that has become a full-blown sensation not only in its country of origin, Taiwan, but abroad as well. Today, the U.S. is dotted with bubble tea chains. But who on earth came up with the idea of putting tapioca balls in tea?

Whats the difference between bubble tea and boba tea?

What is Boba? While bubble tea refers to this Taiwan-made drink itself, boba refers to the tapioca balls that are added to the beverage. Boba is a vital element in bubble or pearl milk tea drink. The bubble tea boba balls add a different texture to the bubble tea, thanks to their distinctive chewiness.

Why is boba so addictive?

But sugar is widely used as a “legal drug” worldwide. Sugar leads your brain to be addicted to sugar, it will be dissolved speedily in your body as you take bubble tea. Hence, your sugar level will soar high and cause your brain to produce dopamine which boosts excitement and make you feel satisfied.

What do you call the balls in bubble tea?

Tapioca balls are edible translucent spheres produced from tapioca, a starch extracted from the cassava root. They originated as a cheaper alternative to pearl sago in Southeast Asian cuisine. When in bubble tea, they are most commonly referred to as boba (a Chinese slang for large breasts) or pearls.

What is the most popular bubble tea?

Classic milk tea is the most traditional type of bubble tea and is still the most popular. It is a black tea that contains milk powder and sugar. Many people like to drink this milk tea with tapioca as a “topping”.

What does bubble tea tastes like?

Bubble tea tastes like a well balanced and sweet milky beverage with a slight twist, boba pearls. Though sweet, it’s not overpoweringly sweet since teas counteract sweetness and creaminess of boba flavors.

Is bubble tea the same thing as Boba Tea?

Boba tea, bubble tea, and pearl milk tea — in Taiwan, zhenzhu naicha (珍珠奶茶) — are essentially different names for the same thing; the monikers differ by location, but also personal preference. ( In the U.S., the East Coast favors bubble tea, while the West prefers boba.) Whatever you call it, in its most basic form,…

Does bubble tea really contain tea?

And while bubble tea does contain tea , the other ingredients can offset any health benefits of tea. Sometimes, bubble tea is made with fruit jelly, grass jelly, or agar jelly.