Bubble Tea

"Shaken, not stirred" is how 007 James Bond likes his martini made. 'Shaken, and stirred' is how Chun Shui Tang (Spring Water place) prepares its pearl milk tea.

Chun Shui Tang is credited with the creation of bubble tea (a.k.a. pearl milk tea or boba tea) in Taiwan.   Mr. Liu Han-Jah established Chun Shui Tang in Taichung, Taiwan, in 1983, and later came up with the idea of offering his customers 'foamy iced black tea' using a cocktail shaker.  In 1987 Ms. Lin Hsiu-Fui, one of Mr. Liu's employees, made a whimsical choice to put her favorite Taiwanese tapioca balls (fen-yuan) in her iced tea, and subsequently started to share her concoction with her colleagues and customers.  Before long, the tapioca ball milk tea became an instant success and the rest is history.  

Bubble teas are made to order at Chun Shui Tang.  Customers may choose the amount of ice and sugar in their drinks.   The proximate steps for making its famous pearl milk tea are as follows :

- put ice in a cocktail shaker
- add 80 cc brewed Assam black tea
- stir in creamer and cane sugar syrup
- **add cooked tapioca balls (7 mm size)
- shake 33 times
- pour and serve in a coffee glass mug or a tall paper cup.
** alternatively, put cooked tapioca balls in a glass or a cup then pour shaken milk tea over them.  Stir the tea lightly with a straw.

The characteristics of good bubble teas are foamy on top, fresh tea aromas, not too sweet and 'al dente' tapioca pearls.

Pearl Milk tea in the patio of Chun Shui Tang

foamy pearl milk tea

7mm tapioca balls

The original Chun Shui Tang is located in Siwei Street, Taichung, and was renovated in 2014.  Below are photos of  menu and Yongfu Road store in Taichung, which is five miles west of the flagship tea house.  As of 2015, there are about 42 Chun Shui Tang tea houses in Taiwan and five in Japan.   The tea houses serve a variety of cold and hot beverages as well as food.

Yongfu Road Chun Shui Tang