Boba tea was originally created as a tea-based drink that was invented in the 1980s in tea shops in Taichung, Taiwan. As in the name, most bubble tea drinks contain a tea base mixed with fruit flavor or milk. Ice-blended versions are usually mixed with more ice, resulting in a slushy consistency. The fun of boba tea comes from the small chewy tapioca balls, also known as the “pearls”, boba, zhen zhu, or “the chew balls”.

The drink is made in a variety of ways and has evolved over the decades. There are many different recipes that each tea shop holds, that makes them stand out from the rest. These include different ingredients, like milk, cream, ice cream, shaved ice, fresh fruit, syrup, flavored powders, soy milk, black tea, and/or green jasmine tea.