June 30th, 2019.
Siblings, on their way to visit a friend, decide to make a detour.
They’re going to get bubble tea.
Little do they know, this stop would be a fatal mistake.
This complex beverage was about to reveal its darker side.
The sister would soon succumb to her favorite drink.
And soon, new shocking headlines about bubble tea gave people more reasons to question its safety.
This is the story of how Bubble Tea went from a drink everyone was afraid of to
one that took the world over by storm.
It all begins with the seemingly innocent tapioca pearls which come from this unassuming ingredient.
The cassava root.
A versatile crop native to South America.
To make tapioca pearls, the cassava root is washed, peeled and grated before the starch inside is
extracted and refined into small round balls.
They then arrive at tea shops like this.
The pearls are then boiled for 30 minutes before sitting at room temperature for another 30 minutes.
Creating the jelly-like texture they are known for.
bubble tea, also known as pearl tea, boba, QQ, or milk tea, is produced by marrying the earthy
flavors of tea with the creamy richness of milk.
The drink is made by shaking the milk tea with ice and sugar.
Afterwards, customers have the option of adding toppings like tapioca pearls to their drink.
Contrary to popular belief, the name "bubble tea" actually refers to the bubbles
that appear when the drink is shaken.
Not the tapioca pearls themselves.
This enticing beverage has come a long way since its humble beginnings.
But, its history is anything but sweet.
It was filled with lies, deceit and a handful of deaths before it captured the hearts of millions.
The unique drink’s origins can be traced back to the bustling streets of Taiwan in the 1980’s.
After a trip to Japan revealed that people were drinking their coffee cold, the owner of this
tea room returned home and began experimenting.
And, in 1983, started selling cold milk tea to their customers.
But it was their product development manager, Lin Hsiu Hui, who came up with
the bubble tea we know and love today.
She had been bringing a tapioca pearl-filled dessert to work to share with her coworkers.
One day, while in a staff meeting, she inadvertently created what we know today as bubble tea by pouring
her leftover tapioca pudding into her cold milk tea.
Intrigued, her colleagues did the same, and loved it.
The new drink was immediately added to the menu, instantly catching the attention of their customers.
It was an instant success.
Inspiring a number of copycats, it started spreading amongst nearby tea rooms,
quickly rising in popularity across Taiwan.
Soon, it would become the most popular beverage in the entire country.
And it wasn’t long before it spread to the rest of the world.
But unfortunately, bubble tea's global rise would eventually be scarred
by scandal, tragedy, and deaths.
As the beverage's popularity continued to soar, concerns about its high sugar content
and caffeine levels posing health risks, especially for children, made headlines.
Singapore’s Mount Alvernia Hospital issued a warning against bubble tea for its risk of
heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis.
To fight the first wave of bad press, fruit teas, sugar-free options, and non-dairy substitutes
like almond and oat milk were introduced.
Health-conscious consumers could now also choose green or herbal teas instead of milk
teas for lighter, antioxidant-rich options.
But these weren’t the only health concerns making headlines.
Bubble tea would be facing a very serious scandal next.
A smear campaign.
In 2012, rumors began swirling that the tapioca pearls in bubble tea contained harmful carcinogens.
A study by the University Hospital Aachen in Germany took samples from a bubble tea chain in northwest
Germany, and claimed that traces of cancer-causing chemicals were found in tapioca balls.
Numerous news outlets started reporting on this study and the news spread quickly.
Soon the entire world was buzzing with concern over the potential risks of this once-beloved beverage.
The impact of these claims was immediate and devastating.
Customers who once eagerly lined up for the sweet drink now avoided it.
People everywhere began to worry that each sip of bubble tea might bring them
closer to a life-threatening illness.
Sales of bubble tea plummeted, and many bubble tea shops around the world struggled to stay afloat.
Customers who once eagerly lined up for the sweet drink now avoided it.
In the midst of the chaos, some journalists began questioning the evidence within the study.
They found that, in reality, the levels of the potentially harmful chemicals in
bubble tea’s tapioca pearls were much lower than what could be considered dangerous.
And the actual risk to people who enjoyed bubble tea was extremely small.
If it existed at all.
With truth circulating and drowning out the lies, all seemed to be looking up for the beverage.
But little did the public know, bubble tea was far from getting itself out of bad publicity.
Reports of people being admitted to the emergency room due to the beverage started to increase
– with someone even tragically losing their life.
In one reported case out of China, a teen found himself in excruciating
pain and unable to digest food.
After having failed to digest the starchy pearls, the small balls melded together, forming
a large lump that needed surgery to remove.
Another report saw a 19-year-old fall into a diabetic coma.
She had been drinking two cups of the sweet drink every day.
Her blood sugar levels were 25 times higher than normal.
In a separate case, a young man in the United States scared himself and his
friends when he choked on the chewy pearls.
He ended up in a medically induced coma.
And then there was this tragic story.
The young girl who stopped for bubble tea with her brother – a stop that ended up costing her life.
While taking the last gulp of her favorite drink, tapioca pearls got stuck in her airways.
Triggering her existing asthma.
After being rushed to the hospital, she sadly passed away.
These incidents, and countless others like them, painted a grim picture of the hidden
dangers lurking within every cup of bubble tea.
In order to overcome these obstacles, some vendors introduced healthier
toppings such as fruit and aloe jelly.
And to avoid choking hazards, popping boba became a thing.
Against all odds, bubble tea has managed to push past its negative shadow.
The allure of bubble tea cafes continues to captivate young people across the globe.
Vibrant social hubs offer a unique, relaxing atmosphere where friends can
gather, unwind, and enjoy bubble tea.
The global market size of bubble tea in 2022 was valued at 2.29 billion dollars.
The beverage continues to soar in popularity and be loved by millions around the world.
The drink's tumultuous past serves as a testament to its resilience, and only time will tell what
the future holds for bubble tea – a drink that conquered the world… despite its deadly reputation.