Bubble tea is a way of life in Southeast Asia. As the name suggests, this tea is fun and refreshing to drink.
It was Taiwan that brewed the world’s first bubble tea. This was during the 1980s. Like any other country, Taiwanese schoolchildren, after classes, frequented neighborhood eateries and tea stalls.
One ingenious tea stall owner, in an effort to lure these young customers, started adding fruit flavors to the tea. The tea infused with fruits became widely popular among the students. Soon, other tea stall owners duplicated the trend. Several variations were created. Some even improvised by adding jelly and tapioca pearls in the tea. This joint innovation resulted in the flavored bubble tea.
Drinking bubble tea has its health benefits, but it is not as healthy as green tea. Tapioca pearls contain more carbohydrates, so it may not be good for the calorie-conscious.
“Drinking unsweetened black or green tea daily has health benefits, but drinking pearl milk tea regularly may not be a healthy choice if you are watching your weight or controlling your calorie and sugar intakes,” says Wong Hui Xin, dietitian at the Department of Dietetics and the LIFE Centre, Singapore General Hospital (SGH), a member of the SingHealth group.
According to Singapore’s Health Promotion Board, a cup of bubble tea, with milk and tapioca pearls contains about 335 calories. The pearls represent about one third of the calories. Despite this, the bubble tea remains a popular drink among women, and its popularity has only progressed over the years. The number of Taiwanese outlets serving bubble tea has also increased in the US and Europe.
This video will show you how to make the perfect homemade bubble tea.
Leave a comment