What Is Boba? Bubble Tea Explained

A boba tea shop is a staple in almost every shopping mall or college town. However, have you ever wondered what boba is, the science of how to make it, and where it originates from? Keep reading to find out.

Origin of Boba

The origins of boba is debated bu tit is known that it started around the 1980s in Taiwan. Milk tea and tapioca balls were both common in East Asia. It wasn’t until someone deserted to combine the two products together to create the drink. The name is the slang for breasts in Chinese to refer to the shape of the tapioca balls.

Science of Bubble Tea

The black boba balls are made of tapioca starch through gelation. Gelatation forms the tapioca balls that are softer to chew. First, water enters the system to loosen the structure of the flour. This results in long chains of polymers. The polymers form hydrogen bonds with each other which creates the final product of boba!

cites:

Davidson, Nancy. "The new look of teatime." Health 17.5 (2003): 145-145.

Liu, Ying, Huan Cheng, and Dan Wu. "Preparation of the orange flavoured “Boba” Ball in milk tea and its shelf-life." Applied Sciences 11.1 (2020): 200.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/make-boba-for-bubble-tea/