Here’s everything you need to know about bubble tea, the colorful, customizable Taiwanese drink
What Is Bubble Tea, Exactly?
Updated on May 23, 2025
When bubble tea was first introduced to the West, you could get it only in cheery mom-and-pop shops in big-city Chinatowns and Koreatowns. While Asians and Asian Americans have been drinking bubble tea (aka boba) for decades, this beloved Taiwanese drink has been steadily garnering global popularity over the past few years. In fact, the global market for bubble tea was $2.63 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $4.78 billion by 2032, according to Fortune Business Insights. (Who says food trivia and economics don’t mix well?) But what is bubble tea?
Simply put, classic bubble tea is black tea brewed with milk and sugar, then poured over ice and tapioca balls. But it also comes in a wide variety of flavors with countless customization options. Slurping up sweet, chewy tapioca balls through an oversized, colorful straw makes bubble tea feel like both a drink and a dessert in one fun, Instagrammable package.
If you haven’t tried bubble tea yet, this is your sign—it’s a fun, flavorful experience worth sipping at least once. Read on for everything you need to know about the popular drink.
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When was bubble tea created?
Invented in the tea houses of Taiwan in the ’80s, bubble tea has had a comparatively short history when you consider the centuries of tea drinking in Asia. You’ll find it under a few names: bubble tea, boba, boba naicha (“milk tea” in Mandarin) and milk tea.
The drink was born from a love of mouthfeel—local tea houses experimented with textures and flavors to create something unique. Who crafted that very first glass of boba remains a mystery, though. Two iconic Taiwanese tea shops, Chun Shui Tang in Taichung and Hanlin Tea Room in Tainan, have both claimed to be the original inventors, sparking a long-running legal dispute over the drink’s true origins.
Since the ’80s, bubble tea has come a long way in terms of variety, creativity and availability. Encyclopedia Britannica even added a dedicated bubble tea page in 2022—proof of its growing global reach. As more and more bubble tea shops pop up, we’re seeing innovative flavor combinations, tasty toppings and vegan-friendly and organic options. Even if you can’t travel all the way to Taipei to go on a bubble tea crawl (add it to your travel bucket list!), you can get fresh bubble tea delivered right to your doorstep in most major cities. You can even buy DIY bubble tea kits, the perfect gift for tea lovers and boba fanatics.
What is bubble tea, and why is it so popular?
Boba begins with a tea base—black, green, matcha or other varieties—that’s then blended with milk and sweetener. Ingredients differ from one restaurant to the next, but many offer bubble tea made with plant-based milks like almond and coconut.
The drink is crafted by ladling tapioca balls (we’ll explore those chewy pearls in detail below) into a cup and pouring the sweet, milky tea over the top. Some shops use a machine to seal the cup with heated cellophane film, making it easy to carry without spills—a signature part of the bubble tea experience. When you’re ready to sip, simply stick the oversized straw through the cellophane lid.
Drinking bubble tea is an experience. As the tea flavors dance along your tongue, you can chew the sweet tapioca pearls. It’s easy to see why so many people love it—the chewy, bouncy texture is reminiscent of mochi or candied jellies, making each sip both satisfying and playful.
How can you customize bubble tea?
Traditional boba is made with tapioca balls, but many shops offer alternatives, including popping boba that comes in fruity flavors like mango or kiwi. You could also top your drink with fun treats like coconut jelly or fruit jam. Feeling adventurous? Some shops even offer unique toppings like red beans, mango pudding powder or cheese foam.
Most bubble tea shops allow you to customize the ice and sugar levels. You can request less ice to get more tea, though this may affect how cool and refreshing the drink feels. And while boba is typically served as a cold beverage, you can also choose to order it piping hot to warm your bones on cold days.
What are bubble tea balls?
A sign of a good bubble tea is the quality of its tapioca balls, which are also known as tapioca pearls, bubbles or boba. Made from tapioca starch extracted from cassava root, these marble-sized balls are naturally gluten free. The traditional black pearls you suck up with your jumbo straw are boiled and caramelized, but they start white and relatively flavorless. They get their beautiful dark color from soaking in a caramelized brown sugar syrup.
Bubble tea balls have to be timed perfectly in order to get the right consistency and freshness. Boil the tapioca too long, and they become mushy and shapeless. Leave them sitting out for too long, and they get hard and impossible to chew. If you’d like to try making your own bubble tea at home, you can buy premade tapioca pearls from an Asian grocery store or even make your own from scratch using tapioca starch.
Quick tip: Don’t sip too forcefully. Those tapioca pearls can shoot up the straw faster than expected, and it’s possible to accidentally slurp one straight to the back of your throat. That’s why many first-timers, as seen in viral TikToks, end up coughing or laughing after their first sip! While bubble tea is a safe treat for kids, be sure to supervise your little ones while drinking. You could also ask for kid-friendly varieties, like smaller pearl sizes or fruit teas without tapioca.
What does bubble tea taste like?
Bubble teas can come in many different flavors, but the classic flavor combines the robust complexity of black tea with the creamy richness of milk and the sweetness of brown sugar tapioca. Of course, the drink will taste slightly different if you order yours made with green, Earl Grey, jasmine, oolong or chai tea.
On most bubble tea menus, you’ll also find refreshing, caffeine-free fruit-flavored options. Try some of the flavors popular in East Asian bubble tea shops, like lychee, white peach, yuzu and yakult. Also worth a sip is sweet taro, which has a lovely purple shade and a nutty, vanilla flavor.
Prefer to sip slowly? Ask for less ice so the flavor stays strong as it melts. Not a fan of chewy textures? That’s OK—bubble tea has plenty of alternatives to suit a diverse range of taste preferences.
What is the best bubble tea flavor?
The best bubble tea flavor is personal—you might love extra-sweet popping boba, while your pal prefers traditional flavors. The fun part is taste-testing and finding out which combination is a win for you.
Tips for your first bubble tea order
Ready to try bubble tea for yourself? Here’s how to choose a great first flavor.
- Pick a classic combo: Order a classic milk tea with tapioca pearls—ask for black tea with whole or oat milk if you’re unsure. It’s the most popular starter drink for a reason. Ask for a moderate amount of sugar so that you can add more later if it’s not sugary enough for you.
- Customize like a pro: Ask for 50% sugar and regular ice to get a balanced flavor that’s not overly sweet or watered down.
- Get the right tools: Make sure they give you a wide boba straw—you’ll need it to suck up the chewy tapioca pearls. And don’t be shy about asking for a sealed lid if you’re taking it to go!
Classic milk tea is the most traditional and a go-to for a reason; lots of people consider it the best bubble tea flavor. But other fan favorites include Thai tea, which uses sweetened condensed milk; sweet taro; matcha; and refreshing honeydew. Coffee-based boba options, like iced latte or espresso milk tea, offer a fun twist on your daily caffeine fix.
If you’re feeling adventurous, check out different combinations, like strawberry matcha, or floral flavors like rose. You can also customize your drink by mixing teas, toppings, sweetness and ice levels to suit your taste. Or go with the crowd: A recent survey found that fruit-based flavors are the most popular, making up more than half the bubble tea market. With so many flavors to try, the hardest part is simply choosing where to start.
Is bubble tea unhealthy?
Like any food, the healthfulness of bubble tea depends on what you put in it. Most bubble tea shops offer different sugar levels, such as zero, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the traditional sugar content. Still, tapioca starch is high in carbohydrates, and there are about 120 calories in a cup of bubble tea alone. If you’re looking to cut processed sugar from your diet, the healthiest option would be to drink plain tea with no sugar or tapioca balls at all.
There’s also been some confusion surrounding tapioca pearls. Some news outlets cited a 2012 German study that claimed tapioca balls were toxic and contained potentially harmful compounds. But the study was never published, peer reviewed (the gold standard for quality of research) or reproduced. It also misidentified some of the compounds found in tapioca pearls. There’s no scientific evidence linking bubble tea to cancer, and tapioca pearls are considered safe to consume by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Bubble tea, especially with all the add-ons, is more of an indulgence than an everyday drink. But it’s easy to customize it for a lighter treat. As with any treat, moderation is key—especially if you enjoy sweeter versions. Start with 50% of the sugar level, try a plant-based milk like oat or almond and adjust it to your liking. And once you’ve found your favorite combo, chances are you’ll be back for more.
So what is bubble tea? Aside from a refreshing and irresistible drink, it’s a unique way to expand your palate and experience different flavors and textures. Try it out, and support your local Asian American–owned businesses while you’re at it.
How did bubble tea become Gen Z’s favorite drink?
If you spend any time on social media, you’re probably wondering less about what bubble tea is and more about why bubble tea has taken over your TikTok and Instagram feeds. A few key reasons explain why it’s exploded in popularity, especially among younger generations.
It’s available almost everywhere
Bubble tea is no longer just a trendy drink—it’s a global phenomenon. Popular chains like Gong Cha are expanding internationally, from Portugal to North Africa, and major players like MIXUE are even pursuing billion-dollar IPOs. Health-conscious options like BUBLUV (a low-sugar, high-protein version of bubble tea) prove the drink can evolve to match modern lifestyles.
There are endless options
For Gen Zers and millennials, bubble tea is all about personalization. You can choose the sweetness level, change up your tea selection, add to or limit the ice and even pick exciting toppings. In other words: You control your drink.
It’s becoming healthier and more sustainable
Bubble tea is evolving with a focus on sustainability, vegan options and healthier choices. Eco-friendly packaging, plant-based milks and low-sugar alternatives are becoming the norm and attracting a new crowd of boba fans.
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Sources:
- Fortune Business Insights: “Bubble Tea Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis”
- National Geographic: “The story behind bubble tea, Taiwan’s iconic drink”
- Encyclopedia Britannica: “Bubble Tea”
- Fun Foods Canada: “The Ultimate Guide to Bubble Tea Toppings”
- The Frontiers of Society, Science and Technology: “What Makes Bubble Tea Popular? Interaction between Chinese and British Tea Culture”
- Electro IQ: “Bubble Tea Popularity Statistics By Origin, Development, Demographics and Trends”
- FDA: “Determination of the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) Status of Resistant Dextrin”
- Berkeley Wellness: “Be Well Tapioca Pearl Problems”
