Each season seems to have its own quintessential, trendy drink. There’s pumpkin spice in the fall, peppermint in the winter, iced tea in the spring, and frappuccinos in summer. However, Bubble Tea is relatively new in it’s popularity, and it seems to keep its flavour regardless of the season.
Bubble tea is orginally from Taiwan. Like many foreign foods and beverages, it has found popularity in North America. It is a tea based drink that contains large balls of tapioca. These balls resemble bubbles – giving the drink its name. There are typically two types of bubble tea: milk tea and fruit tea. Recently, bubble tea stores have been combining the two types, serving it as a “slush”. Bubble tea shops use numerous different types of tea bases for these beverages. Regular black tea is the most common, but other types that are commonly used include; green tea, Earl Grey, red tea (rooibos), oolong tea, and white tea. Different types of milk bases are available as well. Cow’s milk or creamer is the standard, but many shops will offer coconut milk, soy milk, or lactose free. It can be served either hot or cold, although cold seems to be the more popular version!
Perhaps the most interesting and fun part of bubble tea is the wide diversity of flavours. Flavours range from taro (a type of root vegetable that is surprisingly delicious), to mango, to chocolate. There are also different types of ‘bubbles’ you can add if you dislike tapioca; such as lychee jelly or grass jelly. Many places serving bubble tea will allow you to combine flavours to suit your preferences. Bubble tea is a versatile drink, with something to please almost anyone!
Luckily for Waterloo students, there are two fantastic places serving Bubble Tea close to campus. The first of these is Campus Bubble, which is owned by the Federation of Students, and located in the SLC. It’s a perfect place to visit if you’re craving bubble tea during the day, or want a refreshment at lunch or in between classes. They have a wide variety of flavours available. Campus Bubble is located beside Feds’ sushi restaurant, Wasabi. Wasabi serves the freshest sushi on campus, offering a great lunch option to go with your bubble tea. There is even a combo available, where you can get a 20oz bubble tea with your sushi for a great deal! Student budgets are kept in mind at Campus Bubble (thank goodness for that). They also offer fruit smoothies and a wide variety of loose leaf teas as an alternative to bubble tea.
The second is Sweet Dreams Tea Shop, which is located in University plaza. They also offer hot and cold bubble tea. Similarly to Campus Bubble, Sweet Dreams Tea Shop offers alternatives to bubble tea in the form of loose leaf tea, coffee, milkshakes, etc. They have both traditional asian food options and ‘american’ options available, such as dumplings, paninis, ramen, grilled cheese, and spring rolls. There is almost always a line up, as this tea shop is extremely popular among students with its menu and variety of board games. It is open late, and is a great destination to meet for a drink and conversation!!