Boba tea vs bubble tea: What is the difference between them? Do they refer to the same thing?

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2024-06-12
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Boba tea vs bubble tea: What is the difference between them? Do they refer to the same thing?

 

Dear readers, you might be wondering, is boba tea the same as bubble tea?
Generally speaking, they are the same thing: a delicious drink and a pride of Taiwan.


Where did boba originate?


People prefer different names at different times and regions, In Taiwan, people usually refer to "boba" as larger-sized tapioca. So, where did this name actually come from?
In the 1980s, two tea houses in Taiwan, almost same time, added tapioca pearls (made of cassava only) into milk tea. They were Chun Shui Tang from Taichung and Hanlin Tea Room from Tainan. Because the tapioca was round and translucent like pearls, they named the drink "珍珠奶茶," which translates directly to " pearl milk tea."
How to open a bubble tea shop?



source:http://www.hanlin-tea.com.tw/brands/

source:https://www.chunshuitang.com.tw/bubble-milk-tea/



Soon, this unique drink became popular in Taiwan. In Tainan, a small stall named "草蜢" was inspired by the figure of a famous actress at the time: Amy Yip, and called the drink "boba milk tea." Immigrants then took this drink and its name to various parts of the world.

As for why bubble tea looks the way it does now, with hand-shaking and sealed in plastic cups? still the 1980s, Foam Black Tea became popular in Taiwan. According to legend, someone saw bartenders using shakers and decided to replace the alcohol with black tea and add syrup and ice. Because shaking the mixture produced a lot of foam, it was called " Foam Black Tea." Compared to traditional tea houses where high-mountain oolong tea could cost thousands of NT dollars, this affordable drink was more popular with the public.
It gradually became a popular gathering spot during those years. In the late 1990s, some shops introduced automatic sealing machines to replace traditional cup lids, solved the problem of drinks often spilling due to various accidents. The sealed film would only be stick with a straw when the beverage was ready to be drunk, greatly improving takeout orders. From then on, takeout became mainstream for foam tea shops, and then, the rising bubble tea shops followed the same method as the foam tea stores, evolving into the feature they are today.



Who invented bubble tea?


Hanlin Tea Room and Chun Shui Tang ended up taking each other to Taiwanese courts over the matter. After a decade of litigation, it was ultimately ruled as a new type of beverage. Neither party could obtain a patent. However, because of this, bubble tea was not subject to trademark and patent restrictions, which allowed it to become wildly popular worldwide and emerge as a representative Taiwanese beverage.
Curious about how bubble tea will evolve in the future? .



Unique boba tea culture:


Because of this, its highly customizable feature allowed bubble tea to spread worldwide and integrate into various local cultures, resulting in its diverse forms today, and can be seen in every corner of the world. In the highly competitive bubble tea market, businesses must find their own unique features to stand out. Whether it's giving their drinks catchy names, adding unusual ingredients, or designing their stores to be unforgettable, these are all opportunities to show their uniqueness. Just remember, if you need various bubble tea ingredients or equipment, Fokus Inc. will always be here to provide you and your business with the strongest support. Contact us for more information!?