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Drinking Tea Hasn’t Ever Been This Fun
In recent years people have become more partial to ordering bubble tea or boba tea instead of their usual carbonated drinks. Boba tea stalls have become fixtures in schools and malls, and Asian restaurant owners serve some or the other version of the beverage to their customers. The introduction of bubble teas and beverage brought the tea drinking culture to a younger, wider, and more diverse market.
As story goes, the beverage was conceptualized by a tea shop owner in Taiwan. Originally, bubble teas or boba teas were made with fruit flavored green tea or black tea like oolong or Earl Grey to which tapioca pearls were dumped to provide a different mouth feel. Sucking on a big straw and chewing on the pearls seemed disconcerting to some at first, but the hype surrounding the new drink definitely turned hesitation into curiosity.To make the beverage, the tea and the other components are shaken until it becomes homogenous. This action produced bubbles in the mixture, hence the name. Another popular version of boba tea’s etymology is simply because of the tapioca pearls which are popularly known around Asia as ‘boba.’
At present, there is not just one definitive bubble tea recipe. The drink’s varieties are just as plenty as the numbers of stores that sell them. Generally, these can be categorized as fruit flavored, milk infused and non-fruit flavored, and a combination of both. Interestingly, flavors like coffee, chocolate, and sesame have become more popular choices eclipsing traditional fruit flavored teas. Some bubble teas are mixed with shaved ice, or just served cold.
Traditional bubble teas are healthier beverage options. They are also known to decrease the risk of developing certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Tea has been a mainstay therapy for people with irregular bowel movements, high cholesterol and poor glycemic control. Its thermogenic properties have also been studied extensively and have shown promising results in terms of promoting weight loss.
Sadly, nowadays these healthy drinks have become laden with calories because of the artificial flavorings and unctuous crèmes that are incorporated in the traditional bubble tea recipe. Needless to say, the beverage provides a new, exciting way to an otherwise plain drink. People just need to keep in mind that taking excessive amounts is not very good for health.
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