Bubble tea is a style of tea drink that was created in Taiwan in the 1980s. Though it's a subject of debate, it is generally thought that Ms. Liu Han-Chieh of Chun Shui Tang tea shop in Taichung, Taiwan, first came up with the drink. Despite being a relatively new drink, its popularity quickly spread throughout the world.
Bubble tea is an interesting beverage that is often made up of black or oolong tea, milk or fruit flavors, a sweetener, and a chewy texture found in Taiwanese cuisine called QQ (what you may think of as the 'bubbles' in bubble tea). Most often, the QQ takes the form of tapioca pearls.
The name 'bubble tea' originally came from the bubbles formed when the milk tea was shaken, not the fun pearls inside the drink.
The drink is known by many other names, including 'pearl tea,' 'boba tea,' and 'tapioca tea.'
Tea
Grenn Tea
Green tea is a type of tea that is made from Camellia sinensis leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process used to make oolong teas and black teas.Green tea originated in China, but its production and manufacture has spread to many other countries in Asia.
Black Tea
Black tea,is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, green, and white teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than the less oxidized teas. All four types are made from leaves of the shrub (or small tree) Camellia sinensis. Two principal varieties of the species are used – the small-leaved Chinese variety plant, used for most other types of teas, and the large-leaved Assamese plant, which was traditionally mainly used for black tea, although in recent years some green and white teas have been produced.
Oolong Tea
Oolong is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea (Camellia sinensis) produced through a process including withering the plant under strong sun and oxidation before curling and twisting. Most oolong teas, especially those of fine quality, involve unique tea plant cultivars that are exclusively used for particular varieties. The degree of oxidation, which varies according to the chosen duration of time before firing, can range from 8–85%,depending on the variety and production style. Oolong is especially popular in south China and among Chinese expatriates in Southeast Asia, as is the Fujian preparation process known as the Gongfu tea ceremony.
White Tea
Currently there is no generally accepted definition of white tea and very little international agreement; some sources use the term to refer to tea that is merely dried with no additional processing, some to tea made from the buds and immature tea leaves picked shortly before the buds have fully opened and allowed to wither and dry in natural sun,[citation needed] while others include tea buds and very young leaves which have been steamed or fired before drying. Most definitions agree, however, that white tea is not rolled or oxidized, resulting in a flavour characterized as "lighter" than most green or traditional black teas.
Boba
Boba, in the generalized sense, is tapioca pearls. Also called bubbles or pearls.
Black Pearl
One of the "standard boba pearls," black boba, is made from the cassava root. The black coloring is created by added brown sugar or caramel coloring. In other words, black boba is simply tapioca with added coloring that makes it sweeter. The first taste of black boba can be a surprise. The texture is chewy and bouncy, with an almost licorice flavor to it.
Clear Boba
Clear boba is straight starch from the cassava root. Clear boba is relatively tasteless on its own, which is why it's used in most milk-based bubble teas. The tapioca pearls are able to absorb the milk and flavor of the tea, thus becoming one with the flavor of your tea. Therefore, if you order a chai bubble tea, the black or clear boba pearls will taste like chai too.
Mini Boba
Mini boba is exactly as it sounds—it's a smaller version of black, clear, or flavored boba. If you find that normal-sized boba is too hard to drink up with a straw or too annoyingly chewy, mini boba may be the perfect option for you. Mini boba cooks faster due to its smaller size and is easier to chew. It's the perfect dainty topping for fro-yo or a sweet surprise in any flavor bubble tea.
Popping Boba
popping boba is infused with a flavored surprise. This type of boba (also called juice balls) is created through molecular gastronomy. This type of cooking involves taking flavored fruit juices and mixing them with powered sodium alginate.
Places That Open Late at Night
- Near NYU main campus
Kung Fu Tea
Boba Guys
Luxamor NYC
- Near NYU Brooklyn campus
Kung Fu Tea
Gong Cha
Other
Special thanks to my great friend Thy-Lan,who inspired me to create this website by going on late night boba hunt with me around NYU!
Click the picutes below if you want to see Thy-Lan's amazing boba collection!
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