\What are those weird things sitting on the bottom of my cup?""
""That was good. ... It was refreshing and filling.""
These are a few reactions you may overhear if you visit Chocolate Coyote, 341 State St., or the Pochi Bubble Tea Station, 7 University Sq., here in Madison. These people are talking about the latest trend in the exciting world of food and beverage: bubble tea.
Bubble tea is a relatively new sensation that originated in Taiwan. Legend has it that about 10 or 15 years ago, a street vendor decided he needed to do something different with his tea in order to attract more customers. First he added fruit flavoring and served it over ice. Then, as more vendors started to copy his idea, he vigorously shook up his tea, nearly creating a spectacle, but also creating froth or ""bubbles"" in the drinks. And just like that, bubble tea was born.
Today, the bubbles have evolved into tapioca pearls'balls of tapioca starch cooked to a soft and chewy consistency. These ""bubbles"" have also led the drink to be called boba tea, in reference to a certain female body part. But whatever these pearls may resemble, they are the essential part of this hottest drink craze. The standard equation for bubble tea is black tea, milk, ice and pearls.
But the latter half of the drink's name, the tea part, is not always necessary. The bubbles can be added to smoothies, fruit juice or pretty much any beverage and still be considered a member of the bubble tea family. Typical bubble tea flavors include, but are not limited to, green tea honey, green tea mango, almond, starfruit and sour green apple.
The coolest part of the whole bubble tea experience is probably the straw. It is at least half an inch in diameter, large enough to suck up the bubbles and the tea in one big refreshing gulp. The bubbles can either be chewed or swallowed whole, and have no real taste other than the liquid they are in.
Now this whole ""balls floating in your drink"" business may be a bit intimidating. Does it actually taste good? Many people enjoy it, but a lot of people are still a bit skeptical. This drink is only for the most adventurous connoisseurs and probably won't impress everyone who tries it. But even so, there must be some reason why bubble tea is creating such a stir, and you may find it surprisingly satisfying.
Is bubble tea good for you? Well, it depends on what kind you get. Strictly tea with the tapioca pearls and flavoring is only 170 calories with six grams of fat. These numbers increase significantly if you add milk, however, to 335 calories and 13 grams of fat. In addition to the tapioca, the pearls themselves include sweet potato, cassava root and brown sugar, which give them their black color. Without milk, bubble tea makes a very healthy snack.
The bubble tea trend seems to be dying off already here in Madison, according to Rebecca Thompson, an employee at Chocolate Coyote. It was more popular this past summer, but in general, many Chocolate Coyote customers enjoy the taro, passion fruit and milk teas.
Despite this apparent drop in popularity, bubble tea enthusiasts believe the drink is bound for greatness. Some believe that someday it will be as popular Coca-Cola and McDonald's. Many kits are on the market so you can make your own bubble tea at home. There is even an Internet quiz titled, ""What kind of bubble tea are you?"" that will tell you which flavor fits you best.
So next time you are out on State Street or in University Square, get yourself some bubble tea. Whether you like it or not, at least you can say you've tried it. Who knows, maybe it will be the next big thing.
