The origins of bubble tea, one of Taiwan’s most beloved beverages
What do a sexy Hong Kong icon, a bankrupted entrepreneur and a failed military defense campaign have in common?
They all contributed to the rise of bubble tea, the insanely popular Taiwanese drink that’s taken the world by storm in recent years. And now, it’s back in the spotlight thanks to recent comments by Marvel actor Simu Liu, accusing a Canadian drink business of cultural appropriation.
It all went down on an episode of “Dragons’ Den,” a “Shark Tank”-style reality show produced by the CBC in Canada. During the program, two Quebec-based beverage brand owners described bubble tea as a trendy, sugary drink, noting that customers are “never quite sure about its contents.”
Chinese-Canadian Liu, who was appearing as a guest star/potential investor, interjected, “Hang on, hang on. I am quite sure about its content,” letting them continue before proceeding to challenge them on their desire to “make it better.”
But this isn’t the first time bubble tea has been at the center of controversy. In fact, it’s been the subject of great debate for decades.
It all started with foam tea
Invented in the 1980s, bubble tea (also called “black pearl tea” or “boba tea”) is a beloved Taiwan classic. Though there are dozens of different variations, at its core it’s a combination of tea, milk and the “bubbles” – which are essentially little balls made of anything from tapioca to fruit jelly.
According to various recent studies, the bubble tea industry in 2024 is valued at around $2.4-3.6 billion globally and there is no sign of growth slowing down in the next decade.
So where did it all begin?
The roots of bubble tea can be traced back to the 1940s.
After working as a mixologist in an izakaya in Taiwan under Japanese rule during WWII, in 1949 Chang Fan Shu opened a tea shop selling unique shou yao (hand-shaken) tea made with cocktail shakers.
The result was a rich and silky iced tea with fine air bubbles on top – dubbed foam tea in Taiwan.
Today, shou yao is an essential bubble tea element. No shou yao, no bubble tea.
It was a revolutionary invention at that time – not only were cold drinks uncommon, but the idea of consuming food and beverages for pleasure had only begun to grow in post-war Taiwan. In the following years, the island’s passion for tasty cold beverages intensified.
“The trend of tea beverages prospered together with the rise of the leisure food trend in the 1980s as Taiwan was experiencing rapid economic growth,” said Tseng Pin Tsang, a Taiwanese food historian.
“In addition to the industrial pre-packaged tea products, there were more tea shops on the street and tea restaurants in the suburbs.”
In 1986, the late Taiwanese artist and entrepreneur Tu Tsong He decided to kickstart a new business venture by riding on the tea shop trend.
After his previous business failed – a hot pot restaurant that went bust – Tu was left with a TWD 4 million (about $124,000) debt and desperately needed an idea to set his tea shop apart from the masses.
“I was visiting the Yamuliao wet market in Tainan when I saw fenyuan (tapioca balls), a traditional snack I loved from my childhood,” recalled Tu in an interview with CNN in 2020.
Bubble tea is often hand-shaken to create a rich and silky iced beverage with fine air bubbles on top – dubbed foam tea in Taiwan.
Hanlin Tea Room
“I thought to myself ‘why don’t I add some fenyuan into my green tea.’ The white fenyuan looks almost translucent with a white center when brewed inside the golden green tea, much like my mother’s pearl necklace.
“So I coined it ‘zhen zhu lu cha’ (pearl green tea).”
Tu then experimented by adding bigger, black tapioca balls to milk tea for a richer taste and a chewier texture, which became the classic bubble milk tea most fans know and love today.
“The black bubble tea balls were bigger than the straws the market had then,” said Tu. “Our customers had to use spoons to scoop out the tapioca balls. We had to work with a plastic factory to customize straws just for our tea.”
His first bubble tea shop, Hanlin, opened its doors in October 1986.
“Bubble tea soon became a hot-selling item in the market and the steady revenue of the tea shop has helped me clear my debt,” said the businessman.
Hanlin now operates about 80 branches across Taiwan and has franchises everywhere from the United States and Canada to mainland China.
But here’s where things get tricky. Tu wasn’t the only person who claimed to have invented bubble tea.
Lin Hsiu Hui, product manager at bubble tea chain Chun Shui Tang, said she created the very first glass of bubble milk tea at a staff meeting in 1988.
Just for fun, she poured the tapioca balls she brought with her into her Assam tea and drank it.
