It all started with tired students in need of refreshment. During the early 1980s in Taiwan, students turned to tea stands in front of their schools. Competition between the owners led to one owner trying something new: adding different flavors to the teas. The idea was a success. The new tea was named “bubble tea” for the bubbles that formed on the top of the tea after shaking. The tapioca bubbles in bubble tea today, traditionally black and made of sweet potato, cassava root and brown sugar, were introduced in 1983 by tea-maker Liu Han Chieh.

Since then, bubble tea shops have cropped up throughout Asian-American communities. Popular bubble tea shops, such as TenRen, Quickly’s, Teariffic and QQ, can be found in all five boroughs, and major chain bakeries like Fay-Da and Taipan also sell bubble tea.

Bubble tea is sold in over 30 different flavors, including shredded red/green bean, taro milk, green apple, mango, passion fruit and lychee. Drinks can also be made with fresh fruits, milk and crushed ice, so the drink can also be a healthy milkshake. QQ Café even makes its shakes safe for those with diabetes, so everyone can find a tea that’s right for them.

Everyone has his or her opinion of what bubble tea should be. In Stuyvesant, TenRen’s bubble tea seems to be the favorite, though Quickly’s is less expensive and offers a student discount.

Usually cheaper bubble tea doesn’t have the chewy tapioca pearls, but many students still prefer cheaper shops since bubble tea is “getting quite expensive,” junior Vincent Dao said. After its introduction and throughout the ’90s, bubble tea cost around $2.50, but now the beverage can cost as much as $4.50.

Convenience is also an important factor in the popularity of a shop. “I just buy bubble tea from the closest store. They taste almost the same. Fay-Da and Quickly’s are both near my prep school, so it’s really convenient,” said sophomore Bonnie Li.

Innovation plays a large role in popularity too. “Sometimes, at Quickly’s, the iciness of the drink makes the tapioca too hard. TenRen’s tapioca is the best,” said sophomore Jessica Ko.

Some shops use white or transparent jelly instead of traditional tapioca. Teariffic, located in Chinatown, serves jelly tea. The white or clear pearls are made of caramel and chamomile root extract.

TenRen markets the different tea flavors with specialty shops like TenRen Ginseng and TenRen Tea Time Bar.

“Quickly’s is more of a everyday hangout place for friends, [TenRen’s teahouses are more] sophisticated and nicely designed,” sophomore Connie Li said. “The TenRen Tea Time Bar has a soothing atmosphere.”

Teariffic and QQ Café are two of the few teahouses that sell food. Teariffic has an entire lunch menu, dominated by rice/cutlet dishes. QQ serves mostly Japanese food such as Oyako-don (meat and egg over rice). Both restaurants serve Taiwanese shaved ice and flavored snow cones for dessert.

You can also make bubble tea yourself, with ingredients found easily at any Chinese supermarket. TenRen sells 50 types of tea for home use, in the form of tea powder, loose tea and tea bags.

People often take advantage of the stores’ cool atmospheres and bubble teas to relax and socialize, which seems to be the owners’ exact intent. As the message on TenRen’s wall declares, “Take time from [your] busy lives to enjoy a moment of relaxation.”