Bubble tea’s journey from Taiwan to Atlanta
Bubble tea originated in Taiwan before it exploded in popularity in the United States. Photo by Matt Siciliano-Salazar | The Signal
Taiwanese entrepreneur Tu Tsong-He was $133,000 in debt and reflecting on the loss of his failed hot pot restaurant when he opened the doors to a new tea shop. To save his livelihood, he needed to differentiate his tea shop from others, so he poured tea over large tapioca balls, creating the iconic bubble or “boba” tea.
Or perhaps Lin Hsiu Hui created the drink in 1988 when she poured tapioca balls into her black tea and shared it with coworkers at a meeting. She claims she then began selling the drink at her tea chain, and bubble tea outsold every other beverage on the menu.