what is bubble tea?

I first encountered Bubble Tea in Taiwan and HK in the early 1990's. It seemed a treat mostly enjoyed by teenagers, sitting in drink shops or buying the bubble teas from sidewalk vendors during the summertime. It's not bad, if you're into tapioca, caffeine and sweet drinks (and stay away from the flavored varieties). Also a fun item to play with, as noted earlier. "Bubble Milk Tea" was the standard item at the time... sally p.

I associated it first with Vietnamese-American fast food places around college campuses. I could be wrong who did what first, but it's does appear to be Asian fast food, and it's really funny to see yuppizoidal American places try to put on the posh when they serve it.

It's a toy beverage, whoever invented it.

ya, mostly kids drink it like we would drink a milkshake. heh. they really 'put on the posh' as you say? that's really funny.

Mydnight

-------------------- thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

There's a restaurant near UPenn where they're doing teas as a side to Americo/Asian food. They're also selling loose and bagged teas. The place wants to be an upscale lunch place for UPenn profs and graduate students. With bubble tea.

A milkshake is the antidote for a Slurpee.

Jim

Derek wrote:

Rather silly "antidote" as both produce the same effect... at least for me.

bubble

In contrast to most other posters, I like bubble tea. It is in no way equivalent to my normal nice, hot cup of black or green tea which I take without milk or sugar, but it does make a nice sweet drink and I enjoy slurping up the tapioca pearls. Note that there is a lot of variety in flavor of different recipes and different establishments. I used to visit the TenRen in Cupertino, CA when I was passing through town and I was quite disappointed at the departure of one particular woman who made a very consistent cup of bubble tea.

Jason

[Well, one of my brother's names is Jason.] And to follow up to SF Bay Area and the 'putting on of POSH'; they opened up a bubble tea shop on University Ave in Downtown Palo Alto, CA. Close proximity to well heeled children and Stanford University isn't too far away either.

Mind you this is the used to be sleepy cow town that, seemingly over night, got a hold of a Super Bowl, and some of the Olympics, and like a flash we had bricks installed in the sidewalk like they had been there ten thousand years or something.

In the case of this particular bubble tea shop though, they have 'kept it real' and have no pretensions. Strictly a fun time place with finger foods and tapioca drinks from the Far (now near) East.

TBerk this was a fun thread.

Bubble tea was invented in 1987 in central Taiwan (the heart of Taiwanese tea country and culture) by Liu Hanjie, a reputable connoisseur, scholar and teacher of traditional Chinese "tea arts." He claims to have started the "cold-tea revolution" in the early 1980s by selling iced-teas to help Taiwanese cope with the year-round hot climate. This provided a more traditional, healthy and palatable option to soft drinks which at that time may have been one of the only cold drinks available.

While some might see it as a "toy drink," due to its current prevalence across much of Asia as a cheap street-stall drink popular with teenagers, it's also available in high-quality versions and near-infinite variety in many tea houses in Taiwan, in particular Mr. Liu's highly popular Chun Shui Tang chain of quality tea houses throughout Taiwan. The shops are a great blend of traditional and modern, where one can enjoy quality gong-fu tea, or quality bubble teas in a very tasteful traditional setting.

As with all flavoured teas, purists will deride it, as one is appreciating more than just the tea, and it lends itself easily to the use of poor quality teas masked by powerful sweeteners and artificial flavourings. But connoissers of bubble tea in all its varieties will recognize at once a superior bubble tea which uses quality teas as a base, combined with a carefully measured dose of natural flavourings to form a wonderful, refreshing blend.

So of course, it's not the same as a traditional cup of clear, piping hot tea. I see it as a new branch of a tea culture which has been evolving over centuries! I personally love both ways, each has its right moment!

So every time I go back to Taiwan, I head straight to Chun Shui Tang for my bubble tea, as I often find others are not really worth drinking. Here's their website FYI:

(it's in Chinese only though)

I recall hearing quite a few tea connoisseurs claiming that they started the cold tea revolution in Asia in the 70s or 80s (I didn't realize there was one) and all over the world. I always found it funny because iced tea has been served in most southern portions of the United States for at least a hundred years.

I think they have one or two of those on the mainland in the Fujian province. Regardless of it's high-quality beginnings, it seems to not be able to shake it's current incarnation; your street-stall teenager drink.

Mydnight

-------------------- thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

While in Switzerland in the 1960s, my aunt asked for iced tea. They were very puzzled, but eventually she was given a cup of hot tea and a glass of ice cubes.

I think it's just one of those southern US traditions that's simply lost on the rest of the world. I mean, it has gained some prevalence here and there, but for the most part if you ask a proper Englishman/woman for a glass of iced tea, they scoff and snicker pretentiously as if it's some improper code of conduct.

It's funny how Americans are viewed in the world as classless and without culture simply because we do some things differently, but the rest of the world isn't viewed as pretentious for thinking that their way is correct and the only way, isn't it?

Mydnight

-------------------- thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

I ice oolong, white, and some green teas every summer and I just don't care if anyone living where the temps don't get over 75 F thinks I'm vulgar.

heh

Mydnight

-------------------- thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

Yes, but we southerners add only sugar and possibly lemon to our iced tea. None of that tapioca junk. ;)

And maybe even a sprig of fresh spearmint....

Mike

Ya, I'm with you guys. I ate at a restaurant last night and had 'sweet iced tea' which is basically had enough sugar to make me wired all night long.

My grandmother used to put some spearmint from her garden in her tea.

Mydnight

-------------------- thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

thanks. how do you know so much? & i'm from Taiwan. :-)

my favorite is lightley fermented (green) oolong but occationally i also like fun bubble tea drinks esp. in winter.

i'll try to visit the place next time when i visit Taiwan.

bye now,

Pam @ Home

Cort Furniture Rental and Honesty are two exclusive concepts.

Or even, now that I think about it, some nice fresh berries. Ok, so maybe we do add other things to our iced tea. Just none of that tapioca junk.