Posted at Mar 25/2006 11:11AM:
[chris witmore]: Nice introduction and contextualization of Bubble Tea. Excellent use of imagery. Great navigation. Some questions are historically oriented and focused on origins. There is some source criticism as to how exactly do we know who definitively invented Bubble Tea--mostly journalist sourcing through newspapers. Great work here. Also as to the range of names for the drink. References are supplied at the bottom, though the linkage to specific authoritative statements in the text is not always highlighted. Other question break down the components of the drink. Excellent detail here. Then on to the specialized material culture, the large size straws. As well as some aspects of the experience of drinking the tea. And context/atmosphere of the Boba Cafe. Testimonials, personal experiences and favorites. As well as recipes. Allot of work when into this project and it shows. Great project. Well done.

Posted at Mar 24/2006 12:46PM:
Sebastian De Vivo: I very much enjoyed reading through your project -- incorporating your own experiences with the extensive research made it both entertaining and informative. I'm definitely thinking of trying bubble tea myself -- great job!

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OUR PROJECT

The Wonderful World of Bubble Tea

Introduction: A Little Taste of Boba

The History of Bubble Tea

The Making Of The Perfect Drink - Bubble Tea

Gotta Have That Flavor

Creamy and Sweet

Milk plus Pearls equals Tea

The Revolution of Bubble Tea Straws

Bubble Tea: The Next Starbucks?

Enter the Boba Cafe

I Think I'll Pass On the Bubble Tea

Bubble Tea: Perspectives Across The US

Extras

Bubble Tea: Our Personal First Experiences

Our Bubble Tea Outing!

Thai-Iced Tea Boba: A Personal Favorite

Making the Perfect Tapioca Pearls

Here's a link to a somewhat amusing website parodying the history of bubble tea. Check it out if you have the chance.

My Stupid Website: An Abridged History of Bubble Tea [link]

The Wonders of Video Google...

Boba Commercial [link]

Project Proposal

Boba, Pearl Milk Tea, or whatever you call it, chances are that you've probably heard of and tried "Bubble Tea" at some point in your life. In the past few years, the craze for bubble tea has emerged alongside the traditional Starbucks Coffee/Jamba Juice shops...but what is it about this delectable Asian treat that has everyone screaming for more??? In our project, we will be examining the history of bubble tea and how its growth over time has influenced the "boba" that we know of today. How did this pearl milk tea sensation really begin and where are its origins? In addition, we will be looking at the aesthetic appeal of the boba drink, from its large tapioca-sucking straw to the various flavors that make up our wide-ranging selection of bubble tea drinks. What are the captivating features of the bubble tea drink and do these features change in different locations?

We will also be exploring the social implications of bubble tea. One major aspect of bubble tea is race--is it merely an Asian thing? Even though it is becoming more popular among people of all races, does bubble tea still "belong" to Asians? Bubble tea cafes have become popularized social hangouts for teens, college students, and families who are mostly Asian, and as these cafes are spreading across the US the drink is becoming more flexible with its standards. Different cafes have different ways of making bubble tea and are experimenting with flavors in order to cater to different tastes that arguably depend on age and race. We will be discussing this widening range in quality and style. Also, we will look at the social aspect of bubble tea outside of the cafe setting. Boba is becoming a popular take-out treat across college campuses for parties and events and more people are drinking home-made boba. Besides the internet research we will do for this project, we will be conducting a few interviews to get various perspectives on bubble tea from our peers.

Outline of Project Proposal

Exploring by region (history):

Asia -> Taiwan, China, Japan, Vietnam
Bay Area -> San Francisco, San Jose
Midwest -> Chicago, Michigan (personal take)
Other world areas (London, Paris)
The many different names for bubble tea (boba, pearl tea, tapioka drink, etc.)

Aesthetic

Packaging (container, straw)
Bright color themes (does it make it more appetizing?)
Design of boba cafes (more contemporary)

Social Implications

Race (Who drinks boba? Is it just an Asian thing?)
Socializing (hanging out, throwing parties, making boba a treat outside of the cafe)
Why is it so appealing? What made it so popular?
Quality (how to make boba...who makes it correctly? who doesn't? why? different types of machines and styles)

Group members

David Trieu

Maggie Cong-Huyen

Posted at Feb 21/2006 11:23AM:
[klfsong]: Hey guys, sounds cool, but you also might with to look into why people follow trends. When do people adopt a trend into their everyday lifestyle?

Posted at Feb 23/2006 01:15PM:
Justine: I first tried bubble tea when i was a little kid in the phillippines. It was always sold on the streets by a man who carried two buckets of it on his shoulders and would scream TA - HO (not sure how to spell that). The drink was a sweet but bland tea that had a distinct taste. I recently found out that Pearl tea is now a huge trend here in SF and that it comes in virtually any flavor you want. Part of me thinks that the authenticity of the drink is lost in the bright pink strawberry versions that are now made, but truth be told, i like it, i buy it, and remember vividly the old man who used to sell it to me. So the big question is... does the commercialization of a product uproot it from its source and devaluate it?

Posted at Feb 25/2006 08:41PM:
Tammy Wang: The drink itself is a bit intimidating to most of my friends who haven't tried it. Think about it- it's a chewy drink...those big black balls don't always look very friendly, at least in my opinion. In that sense I think it's a daring drink, because it's defying the definition of what a drink is- namely, a liquid. Not to mention its unique versatility- shooting the little balls out of straws is a favorite pasttime for some people, since they're like glorified spitballs.

Posted at Feb 27/2006 09:21AM:
Philip Spitzer: I seriously love this concoction. I consider myslef a Pearl (I call it Pearl) Tea connoisseur, as I'm well networked into the Seattle, New York City, and now Palo Alto Pearl Tea scenes. My favorite is and forever will be my hometown "Flavor Bakery and Cafe", which makes the perfect sized, scrumptuous pearls that we all yearn for. Have you found that people associate with one hometown cafe or store? Because honestly, in the FBC, I can order you your perfect drink just by looking deeply into your eyes. On a side note, the Pearls bring to mind darling little Japanese Anime -- Those little round headed characters.

Posted at Feb 28/2006 11:24AM:
Chun Kai Wang: I grew up in the Philippines too. I remember in High School, pearl milk tea became really popular and a chain called Zagu became very rich. The term Zagu came from Sago, which is a Filipino drink that looks similar to perl milk tea, (circular soft ball that tastes really good) but tastes totally different. It is a lot sweeter and only has 1 flavor. In any case, there definitely are waves of pearl milk tea popularity. Now, in the Philippines, pearl milk tea has become so common that it isn't as hot as before. But i definitely imagine that in other parts of the world, pearl milk tea is being introduced and becoming really popular.

Posted at Mar 06/2006 10:17AM:
Jennifer Ladd: I tried my first bubble tea at the start of this year and at the incessant urging of my friend. I must admit that the little tapioca balls did scare me at first, challenging my preconceived notions that one did not have to chew a drink. However, I must say that I have been converted into a huge fan, and my friend and I try to get bubble tea every week or so. It's just so addicting.

Posted at Mar 15/2006 01:29PM:
Kome: what do you think makes bubble tea so popular/ good? I've never actually tried it and i hear peopl get extremely excited whenever there's an event on campus that is serving bubble tea? Is it just an age thing or a free thing??