http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/tea-with-a-twist/1078378/
Good old chai just underwent a radical makeover. Cold, fruity and milky, with black orbs at the bottom, its reincarnated form appears more like a milkshake with some caviar thrown in for mischief. But its unusual appearance hasn't deterred the city from trying out bubble tea.
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| Different Flavours of Bubble Tea |
A refreshing Taiwanese drink made by blending tea with fruit flavours and milk or ice, served over chewy tapioca pearls that squish when you suck them up through a fat straw, bubble tea or boba, as it's popularly called, is fast catching the city's fancy.
"We didn't get a great response initially, mostly because people didn't know much about the tea.
But as the awareness grew, so has its popularity. We have been recording a whopping 200 percent increase in sales since last year," says Abhinav Katyal, who launched QQ's bubble tea café, Delhi's first bubble tea store, in Janakpuri, in 2011.
He has already opened another QQ in South Campus. Two more stores, under the bubble tea banner, are now open in Gurgaon. Katyal is certain bubble tea will transform the way we enjoy our favorite brew.
He is not alone in thinking this way. Chatime, the biggest Taiwanese bubble tea brand that opened its first store in Sarojini Nagar last year, calls itself "the original bubble tea maker". Harajuku, a Japanese food brand, launched its own brand of bubble teas in June last year. They claim to make one fall in love with the taste of "bubble shock".
The drink certainly wins on the novelty factor — there hasn't been a drink that has been this much fun to guzzle down since the ice cream float. One can also experiment and customise — depending on the kind of boba you like. From choosing the flavours (taro to tangerine) and the type of tea (green/black) to toppings (whipped cream, jelly, aloe vera), the customer is spoilt for choice.
