In the 1980s, pearl milk tea (also known as bubble tea or boba) became popular in Taiwan and has since become a global phenomenon with a large following. Canadian Chinese actor Simu Liu is one of those fans. Recently, on the show “Dragons’ Den,” he opposed the image and cultural representation of pearl milk tea by Bobba, a pearl milk tea company based in Canada.
In the program, co-founders of Bobba, Sebastien Fiset and Jessica Frenette, described pearl milk tea as a “sugary trendy drink that people queue up for despite not being sure about its ingredients”. They claimed that their product, using three simple ingredients, could transform pearl milk tea into a “more convenient, healthier” option and potentially “disrupt” the market.
In response, Simu Liu expressed strong discontent, pointing out that such a description amounts to cultural appropriation, using the guise of making it “better” to transform a drink with distinctive Asian cultural characteristics.
“Wait a minute, I am very sure about its ingredients,” he said, ultimately deciding to withdraw his investment in Bobba.
This is not the first time that pearl milk tea has sparked controversy. Over the decades, it has been the subject of intense debates, propelling it onto the world stage.
Today, there are numerous variations of bubble tea, but they all revolve around three basic elements – tea, milk, and the chewy “pearls” that replace, change, and expand. Experts in Taiwan believe that through the re-creation of two traditional foods – tapioca pearls and tea, bubble tea connects society through shared culture and history.
Taiwanese food historian Tseng Pin Tsang stated, “Bubble tea is a successful example of reshaping traditional food. It has become a symbol of confidence and identity for the Taiwanese people.”
According to recent studies, the global pearl milk tea industry has created an estimated value of around $2.4 to $3.6 billion in 2024.
The origins of pearl milk tea can be traced back to the 1940s with bubble tea. During World War II, mixologist Huang Chao-chun created a foamy, silky-smooth iced tea by shaking tea with ice in a shaker, laying the foundation for the future of bubble tea.
Today, the act of shaking has become an essential element of pearl milk tea. Without shaking, there would be no bubble tea.
In 1986, Hanlin Tea House founder Tu Tsung-ho saw vendors selling white tapioca pearls in the Yama Order Market, a traditional snack he loved from his childhood. Inspired, he thought, “Why not add tapioca pearls to green tea?”
“The white tapioca pearls in the golden green tea looked almost translucent, with white centers, very similar to my mother’s pearl necklace,” he told CNN, “So, I named it ‘Pearl Green Tea’.”
His first pearl milk tea shop, Hanlin Tea House, opened in October 1986.
Hanlin Tea House now operates around 80 outlets in Taiwan and has franchised stores in the US, Canada, mainland China, and other locations.
In 2015, Tu Tsung-ho was recognized by National Geographic as one of the “10 important figures influencing the Chinese world.” His Hanlin Tea House became the designated pearl milk tea shop for state banquets, used to entertain foreign guests.
However, it’s not as simple as that. Tu Tsung-ho was not the only one claiming to have invented pearl milk tea.
Lin Hsiu Hui, product manager at Chun Shui Tang, a bubble tea chain, stated that she created the first cup of pearl milk tea during a staff meeting. She poured “pearls” into Assam tea for fun before the idea took off.
“Everyone at the meeting liked the drink,” she said, “and within a few months, it quickly surpassed all our other iced teas.”
Chun Shui Tang’s website states that pearl milk tea was “first created in 1987, featuring the perfect blend of creamy milk tea and chewy pearls, with a hint of sugary sweetness intertwining in its rich and layered taste.”
The debate surrounding pearl milk tea has intensified over the years and resulted in a 10-year lawsuit starting in 2009. In 2019, the legal battle ended amicably with the court ruling that pearl milk tea is a beverage that anyone or any business can create, thus ending the debate on its origin.
So, how did pearl milk tea spread worldwide? This can be attributed to another controversy, highlighting that Taiwan’s pearl milk tea is not to be trifled with.
In 2004, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense aimed to convince the public that their proposed military budget was not expensive. They issued a flyer calling on Taiwanese people to drink one less cup of bubble tea per week for 15 years to save enough money to cover military expenditure.
However, this campaign backfired and sparked strong opposition.
Bubble tea chain Easy Way questioned at a press conference, “Why not encourage people to drink less cola instead?”
Local media dubbed this event the “Bubble Tea for Arms Procurement” incident. Some scholars even argued that this incident propelled bubble tea onto the international stage, creating a successful brand beyond Asia.
For instance, Bubbleology, one of the UK’s earliest chains, was founded by Assad Khan. This former British investment banker fell in love with bubble tea after tasting it in New York City’s Chinatown in 2009, leading him to open his first store in 2011.
Khan told CNN in a 2020 interview, “It was a taro bubble tea, unlike any drink I had tasted before. The tea base mixed with the pearls created a unique dessert with changing textures.”
He added, “The best thing about bubble tea is its fully customizable nature – you can adjust every part of the drink, a feature not found in other instant snack categories.”
Bubbleology has since expanded from the UK to the US, offering a variety of colorful pearl drink options stemming from the customizable nature of the drink.
Today, pearl milk tea continues to evolve in taste and texture. A new wave of bubble tea shops continues to emerge globally, creating their own versions of the beverage.
However, no matter how innovative the formulations may be, the essence of a good pearl milk tea always remains the “tea”.
Tu Tsung-ho said, “We only use top-quality Sri Lankan black tea.” He passed away in 2022 at the age of 73.
After his death, many tea industry friends and colleagues expressed their respect online, thanking him for tirelessly promoting Taiwanese tea culture.