Bubble tea is a modern Taiwanese tea-based beverage that was invented in Tainan, Taiwan by the 1980s. Bubble tea is also well liked and quickly gain popularity across Asia before reaching the rest of the world!
There are countless flavours and varieties of bubble tea available, but nonetheless nearly all of them contain milk tea, tapioca pearls (boba) and sugars.
The tapioca pearls themselves can also be substituted with jellies, puddings, or any other chewy toppings. In the meantime, the two most popular flavours of bubble tea are the classical black pearl milk tea or green pearl milk tea. Want to know more about it? Here are more information on the iconic, refreshing and cheerful benefits of bubble tea!
Brief History of Bubble Tea
The most widely accepted origins of bubble tea come from Hanlin Teahouse in Tainan, Taiwan. Back in 1986, the owner of the tea house got the inspiration as he saw white tapioca balls. He then made tea using the white tapioca balls, therefore supposedly resulting in “bubble tea.” Next, he modified the recipe by replacing the white tapioca balls into black ones, mixed with brown sugar and honey into what is the current form of the bubble tea today.
A decade later during the 1990s, the popularity of bubble tea began to widespread in East Asia and Southeast Asia, and subsequently the United States and Canada, where it became a favourite among the American Chinese or American Taiwanese diaspora. Despite its Taiwanese roots, the bubble tea has also been recognized as an East Asian modern cultural icon as a whole.
Types of Bubble Tea
There are three standard types of bubble tea, which are;
- Fruit Flavoured Teas – They are juice-like and have fruits as its main source of flavours. Some of the fruits made into bubble tea are strawberry, grape, kiwi, lemon, pineapple, watermelon, apple, plum, mango, lychee, or exotic and thick ones like avocado or banana.
- Milk Tea – In this case, milk is added into the base tea, and types of milk that can be used range from condensed milk, non-fat milk, skimmed milk, creamer, soy milk, and more. Meanwhile, some milk tea flavours of bubble tea are classical milk tea, taro, Thai tea, or matcha green tea latte.
- Hybrid Fruit Milk Tea – This is an especially fresh combination in between milk tea, fruits and toppings! What is more exciting is that the combinations can be made based on personal preferences! Sounds good doesn’t it?
Variants of Bubble Tea
Like what is said above, there are countless flavours of bubble tea. New flavours are constantly being innovated everyday to suit different tastes as well as beverage trends. Nevertheless, it is because of this that bubble tea is one of the most creative and customizable beverages around. These are some of the top yet timeless flavours of bubble tea around;
- Classical Milk Tea
- Honeydew
- Mango
- Lychee
- Passion Fruit
- Benefits of Strawberry
- Plum
- Almond
- Coffee
- Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate
- Health Benefits Taro
- Matcha Green Tea
- Avocado
- Banana
- Coconut
- Grape
- Apple
- Kiwi
- Benefits of Lemon Water
- Pineapple
- Watermelon
- Caramel
- Mocha
- Sesame
What are its Health Benefits?
- Bubble Tea Contains Fruity Health Benefits
Green tea is one of the most popular flavours of bubble tea, as such a lot of its health benefits are carried over into bubble tea, such as antioxidants like catechins that help the immune system through the prevention of oxidative stress. In addition, various fruits also carry their respective health benefits into bubble tea, such as vitamin C present in strawberries, lemon or mango.
- Bubble Tea as an Energy Booster
The sugar and calories found inside bubble tea make it an excellent source of energy. In addition, a healthier version of it with less sugar is also thought to support metabolism as well.
- Bubble Tea for Heart Health
Again, a less-sugar variant of bubble tea can also be good for heart health because the anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants in the drink strengthens blood vessel walls as well as prevents the formation of plaques.
Is Bubble Tea Good After All?
Yes, tea still contains valuable nutritions and antioxidants that may help in preventing a wide range of diseases, but the health benefits of tea may not be that felt in bubble tea. The toppings are often made with artificial foodstuff, sugar content is considerably high, and so is milk content at ½, ¼ and 1/8 cups respectively. As a result, bubble tea is high on calories.
The American Heart Association also recommended a maximum of 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day for women and 9 teaspoons of added sugar for men. This increases the calorie value to 453 drastically from 0 calories.
On the other hand, bubble tea is also prone to several forms of additives and artificial substances. There were cases in Taiwan and Singapore in which tapioca pearls being sold are found to contain maleic acid, which is an unapproved additive. In Taiwan also, there was a food scandal in which DEHP was utilized as a stabilizer in drinks and juices, which may affect hormonal balances.
Classical Milk Boba Tea Recipe
For those who would like to try to make one at home or simply looking for healthier self-made version of bubble tea, this is the easy recipe of classical health benefits of milk tea-flavoured bubble tea!
Ingredients
- 250g Boba Pearls
- 5 Tea Bags
- Some Hot Boiling Water
- Some Milk
Steps
- Boil the boba pearls until they are well cooked. Well cooked boba pearls are purplish black in colour. Lift and strain them once cooked.
- Brew the tea like usual in the jug using tea bags and hot boiling water. Steep it first before it is let chilled.
- Placed the cooked boba into a newer glass, pour the tea, and finally add some milk into tea.
- Ice cubes may be added into the milk boba tea based on personal preferences. Milk boba tea is now ready to be enjoyed!