Taiwanese tea-based drink with chewy tapioca pearls, became global phenomenon 2010s.
Origins
Invented 1980s Taiwan. Spread to U.S. via Asian communities, went mainstream 2010s.
Variations
- Milk tea (black/green/oolong + milk)
- Fruit teas
- Toppings: tapioca pearls, popping boba, jelly, pudding
Chains
Kung Fu Tea, Gong Cha, Tiger Sugar (brown sugar boba craze 2019), Boba Guys.
Cultural Moment
2020s: Boba became Gen Z/millennial identity marker. “Boba liberal” political stereotype.
Sources:
- Boba tea cultural history
- 2010s boba boom and mainstream adoption