Bubble tea shops seem to be going the way of Starbucks in New York, with one to be found on nearly every street. That said, there are still many people who haven’t tried this sweet Taiwanese drink and even more who are wondering: “what are those black blobs at the bottom?”
Well, to clear that one up quickly, those “black blobs” are tapioca pearls known as boba in Chinese. Hence, boba tea—the other name used in reference to bubble tea.
The most popular of the boba teas are the bubble milk teas which are typically made with tea (duh), milk (obvs), tapioca balls (got it), and a hefty amount of sugar. So the tea isn’t particularly good for you, but hot damn is it delicious!
Those who can’t get enough of the chewy tapioca balls and delicious accompanying tea will be thrilled to learn that the Bubble Tea Festival in NYC is taking place this weekend on Sunday, Sept. 24.
You’ll find that a strip on Broadway (between 51st and 52nd street) will be dedicated to the festival. Aside from lots of bubble tea, the festival will host the world’s largest bubble tea cup, night market-style food, an arts and crafts market featuring Taiwanese and local artists, a kid’s craft workshop, and the Taiwanese Hakka pestle tea experience (crushing your own tea leaves).
The event is produced by Hello Taiwan and a $10 dollar ticket will give you access to samples of all their bubble tea vendors in attendance. In addition to the samples, you’ll be able to enjoy the musical performances by Taiwan artists such as The Chairman Band, and Chio-Tian Folk Drum and Arts Group.
Featured image source: Facebook / Vivi Bubble Tea