Who Really Invented Bubble Tea?
From Taiwan to the World: Filling Our Bellies with Sugary Love
We all know it: some call it bubble tea, others call it boba. It’s one of Asia’s most beloved drinks! While everyone recognizes that bubble tea originated in Taiwan, the question remains—who exactly in Taiwan invented it?
Let’s uncover the story!
珍珠奶茶的“珍珠”其实就是“粉圆”，主要成份就是淀粉，通常是太白粉做的，也有以地瓜粉、马铃薯粉等或果冻者所制成的直径5至10毫米的淀粉球，并添上水、糖及香料，其颜色、口感依成分不同而不同。所以它最原来的名字是粉圆奶茶。
粉圆 (fěn yuán): tapioca balls
淀粉 (diàn fěn): starch
太白粉 (tài bái fěn): tapioca starch
地瓜粉 (dì guā fěn): sweet potato starch
马铃薯粉 (mǎ líng shǔ fěn): potato starch
果冻者 (guǒ dòng zhě): gelatin (or jelly)
直径 (zhí jìng): diameter
The “pearls” in bubble tea are actually “tapioca balls,” primarily made of starch, usually tapioca starch. They can also be made from sweet potato starch, potato starch, or gelatin, forming starch balls 5–10 millimeters in diameter. These are then mixed with water, sugar, and flavoring. Their color and texture vary depending on the ingredients. Originally, the drink was called tapioca milk tea.
那它为什么又叫做“波霸奶茶”呢？这是在1988年时，台南市一家饮料小贩率先叫的。因为当时“波霸女星”叶子楣很火，所以他就把大粉圆叫做波霸，小粉圆叫珍珠。
率先 (shuài xiān): to take the lead
叶子楣 (Yè Zǐ Méi): Amy Yip (a Taiwanese actress, known as "Boba")
火 (huǒ): popular, hot, in demand
Why is it also called “boba milk tea”? This term originated in 1988, when a beverage vendor in Tainan first used it. At that time, the actress Amy Yip, nicknamed “Boba,” was very popular. The vendor named the larger tapioca balls “boba” and the smaller ones “pearls.”
其实珍珠奶茶是台湾“泡沬红茶文化”的一支。在台湾，真正历史悠久的是泡沬红茶店。
在台湾流行咖啡店之前，泡沬红茶店是上班族和学生聚会的最爱，在1980年代后期珍珠奶茶开始出现在泡沫红茶店的菜单上，后来就愈来愈多的学生喜欢。接着，在学校附近或补习班密集的地区、夜市等，逐渐出现珍珠奶茶的摊贩。
泡沬 (pào mò): foam, bubble
悠久 (yōu jiǔ): long-standing, long history
愈来愈多 (yù lái yù duō): increasingly more
密集 (mì jí): dense, concentrated
Bubble tea is actually a part of Taiwan’s “bubble tea culture.” In Taiwan, bubble tea’s origins can be traced back to bubble black tea shops, which have a longer history.
Before coffee shops became popular in Taiwan, bubble tea shops were the go-to places for office workers and students to hang out. By the late 1980s, pearl milk tea started appearing on bubble tea shop menus and became increasingly popular among students. Vendors selling bubble tea began to emerge near schools, cram schools, and night markets.
那么，“粉圆奶茶”又是谁发明的呢？台湾有二间店铺宣称是珍珠奶茶发明者，一是台中市的春水堂，一是台南市翰林茶馆。
有一说是春水堂某职员于1987年将粉圆与冰奶茶、柠檬红茶做融合与调配，发明出第一杯珍珠奶茶。当时所加材料为水果、糖浆、糖渍地瓜和粉圆。珍珠奶茶在刚开始推出的时候并不受到欢迎，但是偶然机缘下，经一家日本电视节目的访问后，终于吸引了注意。此外，春水堂也对外称他们在1983年发明泡沫红茶。
另一说法是由“翰林茶馆老板”于1986年看到白色粉圆得到灵感，将其和奶茶混合所发明，因白色粉圆晶莹剔透如珍珠而命名，之后粉圆加上黑糖才改为黑色今貌；现在门市仍可买到黑、白珍珠两种茶饮。
铺宣 (pū xuān): to promote, to advertise
糖渍 (táng zì): candied, soaked in syrup
偶然机缘 (ǒu rán jī yuán): by chance, accidental opportunity
经 (jīng): to experience, to undergo
灵感 (líng gǎn): inspiration
晶莹剔透 (jīng yíng tī tōu): crystal clear, translucent
So, who invented “tapioca milk tea”? Two establishments in Taiwan claim to have created bubble tea: Chun Shui Tang in Taichung and Hanlin Tea Room in Tainan.
One theory is that in 1987, a Chun Shui Tang employee combined tapioca balls with iced milk tea and lemon black tea, creating the first cup of bubble tea. Ingredients included fruits, syrups, candied sweet potatoes, and tapioca balls. Initially, the drink wasn’t well received, but a Japanese TV program eventually brought it attention. Chun Shui Tang also claims to have invented bubble black tea in 1983.
Another theory credits the owner of Hanlin Tea Room, who reportedly got the idea in 1986 after seeing white tapioca balls. He combined them with milk tea, naming the drink after the pearls’ translucent appearance. Later, the tapioca balls were made with brown sugar, giving them their current black color. Hanlin still offers both white and black pearl teas.
为了争论谁发明了珍珠奶茶，春水堂和翰林茶馆曾打起了官司，但也因为这两家店皆未申请到专利权或商标权，才使得珍珠奶茶成为台湾最具代表性的全民饮料。在2009年“夏季听障奥林匹克运动会”闭幕式中，珍奶还成为“指定特色茶饮”呢！就像可口可乐也是奥运的指定饮料一样。
官司 (guān sī): lawsuit
专利权 (zhuān lì quán): patent rights
商标权 (shāng biāo quán): trademark rights
夏季听障奥林匹克运动会 (xià jì tīng zhàng ào lín pǐ kè yùn dòng huì): Summer Deaflympics
The debate over who invented bubble tea even led Chun Shui Tang and Hanlin Tea Room to court. However, neither establishment patented or trademarked bubble tea, allowing it to become Taiwan’s most iconic beverage. In fact, at the 2009 Summer Deaflympics closing ceremony, bubble tea was the “designated specialty tea drink,” much like Coca-Cola is the designated drink of the Olympics.
Guess we still don’t know for sure who invented bubble tea. 🤷♂️
Antoine & Dorota
