Bubble tea==> first brach?!
Bubble tea==> first brach?
i was looking for the name of the first bubble tea shop. and i wanna know if the shop has different branches or not?
Additional Details3 weeks ago
i meant first BRANCH.
not my fault it didn't show my typing mistake ;)
Answers:
3 weeks ago
i meant first BRANCH.
not my fault it didn't show my typing mistake ;)
Tapioca in the Tea and Sweet Beans in the Pastries
Bubble Tea Cafes in Flushing
Ever have tapioca in your tea? Bubble tea―sweet, milky tea served cold or hot and often with tapioca balls―is a treat easy to find in Flushing Chinatown. Many cafes are devoted to the teas, and also serve snacks or sometimes meals, especially noodles. Bubble tea is very popular with young adults and teenagers (and younger children), competing directly with the local Starbucks. It goes by many names (like sago tea, boba tea, tapioca tea, pearl tea, milk tea, zhen zhu nai cha, QQ, and boba nai cha), and comes in even more flavors (like almond, mango, melon, or lychee). Though you can order bubble tea without tapioca, tapioca balls are definitely a big part of the fun. They are chewy and edible, and you suck them up through a fat straw. Of course, you can order iced or hot tea without tapioca, and luckily, most cafes also serve delicious fruit shakes.
Award Winning Bubble Tea
Sago Tea Cafe has the best location for people-watching, right on Main Street (3902 Main St, 718-353-2899). Sitting in its Ikea-style booths, you can order a Krispy Kreme donut with your tea. The prices are higher than at other local tea shops, and more teens are hanging out. Sago also has a menu including sandwiches and hot dishes.
Ten Ren Tea is pure tea. Part of an international chain ("The Art of Chinese Tea") it serves bubble tea to go on Roosevelt, just before Prince (135-18 Roosevelt Ave, (718-461-9305). There is a counter at the front for sipping, but it's a little too crowded to enjoy. Take your tea to go. In addition to bubble tea, check out Ten Ren's exquisite Chinese tea varieties, both loose and bagged, such as oolong, green, jasmine, white, pouchong, and blends. The classic tea ceremony is sometimes demonstrated at the store.
According to Bubble Tea Supply, Taiwanese tea vendor Liu Han-Chieh, decided to add tapioca pearls to his teas so as to emphasise the bubble aspect of bubble tea. The new "bubbles" were a hit among school children, largely due to their intriguing gummy texture.
The same texture, since its introduction in the U.S., has not only captured the taste buds of children, but for the most part appeals to members of all age groups. According to server Clara Aranovich of the Black Pearl tea bar in Palo Alto, a customer's age usually is not a factor in determining whether he/she will enjoy the tea. "We get the whole spectrum, mostly students during the day since we get a lot of people from Stanford, but we also get a lot over 40 later. We even get senior citizens," Aranovich said.
When pearl tea made the transition from Asia to America in the early 90s, it was primarily found in areas with high Asian population, such as San Francisco or Vancouver, due to the fact that it was a part of Asian culture. However, according to Tea.co.uk, over the last decade the beverage has spread across California and to other parts of Canada such as Toronto, from which it has spread to other U.S. states like New York.
No longer concentrated solely in highly Asian areas, the Taiwanese treat has been made increasingly available to people of other nationalities. However, in doing so, different branches of tea bars have formed. On one hand, you may find a tea bar like the Black Pearl, which with its English menus and signs is primarily focused towards non-Asian customers. On the other are for the most part entirely Asian bars, like Lucy's Tea Bar or Tea Era, both in Mountain View, whose main customers are people of Asian background looking for a traditional Taiwanese style pearl tea.
As a result of the creation of the two separate branches, the drink has further evolved from its emergence in America. As Black Pearl head chef Alex Rosten explains, due to the high level of smoking in Asia, teas tend to be made more sweet in Asian tea bars than in American-focused ones, due to the fact that people who smoke usually crave sweet things. "In general teas in Asia are a lot sweeter because people tend to smoke. Here [Black Pearl], we try to make our teas have more of a distinct flavour," Rosten said. Thus, by making the transition to America, pearl tea has continued evolving, creating the likes of pearl tea smoothies, a tangible manifestation of American influence.
Despite the many American variations of the beverage, the traditional pearl milk tea remains a common favorite. Enzo Njoo, a sophomore at Paly, says that despite the fact that American tea bars usually offer several variations of pearl tea, nothing can beat the real thing. "I think that the variations are not necessary because regular pearl tea is already good enough," Njoo said.
Paly senior Marco Fossati-Bellani supports that view, stating that, "Regular pearl milk tea is good enough that I don't even need to start experimenting with different flavours and styles." Pearl tea is a common favourite, and according to Rosten is likely to spread. "In Asia it's like Starbucks. Its everywhere. Here it's more of a fad but it's spreading," said Rosten.