Have you ever heard about the "bubble tea fever"? Bubble tea, or milk tea, is a very popular drink among teenegers and young adults nowadays. It originated from Taiwan, then spread to neighbouring countries like Japan, South Korea and China, and now to the rest of the world.
In Vietnam, there's at least one bubble tea store in any street, from the famous brand like Gong Cha, Heekcaa, DingTea to the middle brand name like Coto, ChaTime, RoyalTea, etc.
DingTea, a Taiwan-based brand, recently opened its 100th store in Vietnam.
DingTea opens its 100th store in Vietnam. Photo credits to DingTea Vietnam.
There are many varieties of bubble tea with a wide range of ingredients, but mostly they are divided in two forms: one with fresh fruit (sometimes frozen), tea and ice, and the other is tea, with or without milk, and ice. Both kinds can come with toppings, like cheese cream on top of the tea or "bubbles", which are tapioca balls that sit at the bottom of the drink and can be sucked up with an extra-large straw.
These bubbles can be black, white, transparent, or other color, depending on the ingredientes they are made with. While tapioca balls are the most popular kind of bubbles to put in milk tea, other options are available, including aloe, egg custards, taro, red beans and jelly.
Bubble tea with different kinds of topping. Photo credits to Gong Cha Vietnam.
The cost of one cup of milk tea varies from VND 30,000 (1.3$US) to VND 60,000 (2.6$US), depending on the topping you choose.
The bubble tea fever nowadays reminds me back to the day when I was in high school, there was just like only one bubble tea shop that all of the students know. One cup of bubble tea at that time was around VND 5,000 (0.2$US) and it can not compare to the bubble tea now but still, just thinking about its taste makes me feel nostalgic.
According to Lozi, a mobile food and drink application in Vietnam, around 1,500 bubble tea stores are currently operating in the country, and that number is expected to rise sharply when more foreign brands jump into the market.
If you haven't tried any bubble tea, I recommend you go to the nearest store, taste it and you can see why this beverage gain its popularity all around the world.
