Why it’s boom time for bubble tea

As many western coffee chains look eastward for growth, Asia’s bubble tea giants are nurturing new audiences in North America and Europe. World Coffee Portal finds out how this colourful beverage is shaking up branded café markets in the US and Europe 

From matcha to lychee, dragonfruit and even crème brûlée, bubble tea menus are a cornucopia of colour and flavour – with chilli crab and cream cheese also some of the more outlandish varieties.

Also known as pearl milk tea or boba tea, bubble tea traditionally consists of milk, black tea, sugar syrup and tapioca balls – a starch extracted from the roots of the cassava plant. While bubble tea’s name is often attributed to the chewy dark pearls that punctuate the beverage, it more accurately refers to the bubbles produced from vigorous shaking during preparation.