Bubble Tea - The Worldwide Phenomenon

I first heard about bubble tea more than 4 years ago now, back then I heard it being referred to as Nai Cha or milk tea. Originally, I was a bit repulsed by the idea of having milk in Chinese tea, and I'm not a big fan of milk anyways (I'm a little bit diary intolerant in the sense that I stay away from milk, cheese, butter etc) so I left the idea of trying it out.

When university started, I saw an amazing picture posted on my friend's Facebook, showing bubble tea in Bubbleology. All those different colours and the way the picture was taken took my interest. At the same time, I also found out about fruit tea, which included my favourite flavour: Lychee. I absolutely love lychees and anything lychee flavoured, so this was a big bonus for me.

Bubbleology Lychee Fruit Tea

Finally, in my second year, which was in 2012, I decided to try bubble tea from Bubbleology. If this many of my friends are recommending it, it must be good right? So, I stepped in and ordered a Lychee Green Tea with tapioca pearls (back then, I didn't know about popping bobas). First taste was just heaven, I didn't know tea could taste THIS good! At that stage, I knew this was going to be an instant favourite. Afterwards, we actually went there a lot (probably too much, as I can now identify new Bubbleology employees from old ones...), and at first I was a bit cautious, sticking to my lychee flavour, but soon decided to expand a little. I tried Taro, which was alright but confirmed that I'm not a milk tea person and definitely more fruit tea, but it was actually an alright flavour. I also had Apple and Peach which were really nice, but not a big fan of pomegranate.

In my second year, we also had weekly visits from a bubble tea company from Brighton, called Pearls. The guy who served us was actually from Taiwan (I think?) and offered us great tasting bubble tea at a cheaper price than Bubbleology. Their staff was so friendly and this was where I discovered popping bobas (or popping pearls). So, for those of you who are not a big fan of tapioca pearls, I suggest you try popping bobas instead. Basically, they have a fruit based juice inside a soft jelly like membrane, and literally pop in your mouth. So whilst you're enjoying your tea, you also get bursts of fruity flavour every once in a while. Also, it's just fun to pop them in your mouth! I've tried the lychee and orange ones which taste quite similar, mango however has more kick in it. You can also add in fruit flavoured jelly into your tea, but I normally just go for tapioca and popping bobas.

At £3-4, a similar cost to coffee and tea, you receive a decent sized portion with great fruity flavours. It's especially tasty in the summer because it cools you down as well and can serve as a drink or a snack. Not sure if you will like bubble tea? Give it a go, and you might surprise yourself, just like I did 2 years ago!

Rating: 10/10

Tiny