The Bubble Tea Culture: How Bubble Tea Became a Global Craze?!
Hello everyone, it’s Shan Mei.
Today, I want to share something “sweet” with you: bubble tea…and its culture!
Have you ever heard of bubble tea, or perhaps even tried it? I won’t hide the fact that it’s one of my favorite drinks! For those unfamiliar, bubble tea is a combination of milk, tea, and pearls made from tapioca. You might wonder how a drink mixing milk, tea, and “bubbles” can transform into a cultural phenomenon. Let me explain.
Well, it surely is not because of my love for it; it’s because bubble tea has gained immense popularity worldwide, especially among young people. This popularity and the social atmosphere that accompanies bubble tea drinking have cultivated a unique culture around it.
The Origin of Bubble Milk Tea
Milk tea has made its appearance in the history of various countries. In ancient China, milk was introduced to the Central Plains by nomadic tribes. Historical records show that during the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Dezong added “crispy,” a kind of processed fermented milk, to his tea and found it delicious. In Britain, people drank milk with their tea, a practice that was later brought to colonial Hong Kong, evolving into the Hong Kong-style milk tea made with evaporated milk.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s milk tea, the earliest form of bubble tea, originated in the 17th century when the Dutch brought it there. Bubble tea plays such an important role in representing Taiwanese culture that the people of Taiwan have designated April 30th as National Bubble Tea Day each year.
The Bubble Tea Craze
Since entering the 21st century, the bubble milk tea craze has swept the globe. It first became popular in China and other Asian countries, then spread to the United States, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, India, and many other countries, to the extent that bubble milk tea is now a trendy beverage in most countries.
If you’re not a fan of bubble tea, you might be curious about its widespread popularity. Indeed, bubble tea has evolved into much more than just a beverage.
There are a large variety of flavors and more new flavors are going to be launched on the market. Chagee (“霸王茶姬”), a famous bubble tea store in China, even named each flavor of its milk tea with a unique, beautiful name! Its signature milk tea “Bo Ya Jue Xian” (“伯牙绝弦“), which uses a jasmine tea and fresh milk formula, has an average sales volume of more than 100 million cups per year!
This name originates from an ancient Chinese allegory— “Bo Ya Jue Xian,” which translates to Boya breaking his zither. It’s a tale about the rarity of finding a true soulmate. Boya Yu and Ziqi Zhong were soulmates. Boya was a master at playing the “qin,” an ancient Chinese zither, while Ziqi was uniquely adept at appreciating its music. Devastated by Ziqi’s death from illness, Boya believed he would never find anyone who could appreciate his music as Ziqi had. In his grief, he destroyed his beloved qin, snapping its strings, and vowed never to play again.
On Chagee’s website, the slogan for the milk tea “Bo Ya Jue Xian” reads, “A soulmate is hard to find, but the aroma of tea can be found.”
Besides the fancy flavors and product names, the visual appeal of milk tea also contributes to its popularity. Its aesthetic makes it a trendy beverage among young people. Imagine being fashionably dressed for a social event, out shopping, or taking selfies, and having a stylish and tasty drink in hand. This not only satisfies your thirst and refreshes your mind but also elevates your overall look!
Therefore, when bubble tea is often associated with a relaxed, sociable atmosphere, influencing how people interact and spend time together, it becomes more than just a beverage. It creates its cultural identity.
My Experience with Bubble Tea
I absolutely adore bubble tea—the variety of flavors is incredible, but honestly, I doubt I’ll ever get to try every single one out there. So, I stick to my all-time favorite: the classic bubble milk tea. Just milk tea with tapioca pearls—no fancy mixes, no extra toppings. That’s enough to keep me completely captivated.
And I always say, “boba is the soul of milk tea; without it, milk tea just feels empty.” (For those who might not know, boba is another name for tapioca pearls).
There’s something so comforting about the taste of bubble tea, how its sweetness helps ease the stress away. Plus, as someone who’s very visual, just looking at a cup of bubble tea brings me joy. Oh my! How can this milky, reddish-brown paired with the black pearls be so charming?!
Are any of you as crazy about bubble tea as I am? What’s your go-to flavor? If you’ve never had it, I can’t recommend it enough—give it a try! Drop a comment and let’s chat about our favorite bubble tea experiences! <3
Reference
“Bubble Tea and the Rise of the ‘Boba Culture’” Sharetea, 2023.
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