The Taiwanese drink known as bubble tea is gaining popularity in the U.S., with more coffee and juice shops adding the iconic tapioca balls to their menus.
Starbucks is also joining the trend, saying it will add pearls inspired by “East Asian beverages” to some summer drinks.
In Hayward, California, America’s first boba factory is at the forefront of this trend. The U.S. Boba Company produces the chewy tapioca balls locally instead of importing them from Asia.
In the factory, the balls are flavored, mixed and rolled in a tumbler until they reach the perfect size to fit into those iconic wide straws. From there, the tapioca balls are sorted into batches, enough for 10,000 cups each.
Andrew Chau is also one half of “Boba Guys,” the national bubble tea chain he co-founded with Bin Chen over a decade ago.
“I think a lot of founders start a company as a reflection of some hidden or overt part of their identity. There was maybe a part of us that was like, can we make our culture cool or mainstream or accessible?” Chau said.
Chau says their is an importance of getting the right texture for the boba, known as “QQ,” or the chewiness factor.
Boba first emerged in the 1980s at tea shops in Taiwan. Chau and Chen traveled there to trace the drink’s origins. Now, Boba Guys is one of a growing number of companies that have helped bubble tea become a $2.6 billion business in the U.S. alone.
According to Yelp, the number of boba cafes across the U.S. has skyrocketed almost 50% over the last few years.
“The taste and the palette of Americans are changing. There’s more international awareness, and I think that has helped the boba industry,” Chau said.
When asked what makes a good boba order, Chau said, “Despite how complex people think it is, it’s just boba milk tea and some type of sweetener.”
Chau anticipates a larger collision course with other café styles including coffee and maybe smoothies.
When asked if he worries about boba becoming so popular that it might lose its Taiwanese roots, Chau said that is always going to be a concern. But Chau noted that there are benefits as well.
“My thing is this: People are learning about Taiwanese culture more than ever before. I think if that’s the reason why something becomes mainstream, I’m all for it,” he said.
