Tea is one of the oldest and most popular beverage that is consumed in many forms, many people love their tea Hot, But there are also people who love it Cold. It was During the 19th century, tea drinking became an integral part of American social life. In the 1904s world’s fair in St. Louis, Missouri, A tea merchant was selling some hot tea samples. Since it was a hot sunny day he was not receiving a great response. He then thought of borrowing some ice from a nearby ice cream vendor and added it to the pot where he was brewing tea. When he started to serve ice cold tea, it suddenly became a big hit. It is believed that after discovery of Iced Tea, Drinking colder form of tea was relished by all. In Taiwan one such unique tea is relished, It is a shake like tea served cold. This Tea is then topped with some pearls, and is a very popular drink in Taiwan and nearby countries. This shake like tea is made with certain tea leaves, milk, sugar and Is topped with tapioca balls known as pearls. This unique Tea is called bubble Tea or Pearl tea. The topping also varies, often fruit jelly, pudding, grass jelly etc are added. There are many varieties of the drink with a wide range of flavors. The two most popular varieties are black pearl milk tea and green pearl milk tea. The oldest known bubble tea consisted of a mixture of hot Taiwanese black tea, small tapioca pearls, condensed milk, and syrup or honey. Many variations followed; the most common are served cold rather than hot. Tapioca pearls, which sit at the bottom of the cup have a chewy consistency somewhere between jelly and chewing gum.
Bubble teas fall under two categories: teas (without milk) and milk teas. Both varieties come with a choice of black, green, or oolong tea, and come in many flavors (both fruit and non-fruit).
Bubble tea first became popular in Taiwan in the 1980s, but the original inventor is unknown. Larger tapioca pearls were adapted and quickly replaced the small pearls. Soon after, different flavors, especially fruit flavors, became popular. Flavors may be added in the form of powder, pulp, or syrup to oolong, black or green tea, which is then shaken with ice in a cocktail shaker. The tea mixture is then poured into a cup with the toppings in it.
Today, there are stores that specialize in bubble tea. Although bubble tea originated in Taiwan, some bubble tea shops are starting to add in flavors which originate from other countries. For example, hibiscus flowers, saffron, cardamom, and rosewater are becoming popular.
There are any tea vendors that claim to be the creators. Although the popular narratives credit it first to Liu Han-Chieh of Chun Shui Tang Teahouse in Taichung. In early 80s on a trip to japan he found that cold coffee was very popular amongst the Japanese. He experimented the same with teas in Taiwan. His cold teas became extremely popular and his business suddenly boomed.
Later in around the 1988s he saw Tapioca balls in a market. He then experimented by adding the balls to the teas. The magical “pearl tea” was born. Another popular theory is that Tu Tsong-he of the Hanlin Teahouse who added Perl like tapioca balls to his cold teas.
