How bubble tea got its bubbles ⏲️ 6 Minute English

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from

BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

And I'm Beth.

Are you a tea or coffee drinker, Neil?

Well, I usually drink a cup of coffee in the morning.

How about you, Beth?

I'm definitely a tea drinker.

There's nothing like a good cuppa to start the day.

Yes, a cuppa -

it's a word in British English meaning a cup of tea, right?

But there are many different types of tea, which tea

do you like?

Well, I usually drink English breakfast tea in the morning and then a matcha

tea at lunch and then maybe a calming herbal tea before bed.

Wow! It sounds like you're a real tea addict, Beth,

so you'll love this programme because we are discussing

an exciting drink called bubble tea. And, as usual,

we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

Great. But first, I have a question for you, Neil.

Today, British supermarkets sell almost twice as much coffee as

tea and consumer surveys have found that a majority of Brits

prefer drinking coffee.

So, what proportion of Brits do you think, still regularly drink tea.

Is it a) 39%,

b) 49% or c) 59%?

Well, let me think about that. I'm going to say b) 49%.

OK Neil. I will reveal the answer at the end of the programme.

People have been drinking tea for centuries,

but that doesn't mean, tea drinking hasn't changed over the years. Here

in Britain, new trends such as iced tea and green matcha tea

have become as popular as the traditional English cuppa

which, as everyone knows, is black tea with a splash of milk.

One of the latest tea trends is pearl milk tea,

also called bubble tea,

but if you've never heard of it, don't worry -

here's presenter Ben Henderson,

explaining more for BBC

World Service programme 'Witness history':

For those who don't know,

pearl milk tea or bubble tea is tea usually mixed with milk,

crushed ice and filled with its signature

chewy tapioca balls. But customers can then add whatever flavours

they want. It's innovative and exciting.

Pearl milk tea or bubble tea as it's often called,

was invented in 1987 by Taiwanese teashop owner, Liu

Han-Chieh. The 'bubbles' in a glass of bubble tea are made from balls

of a chewy starch called tapioca. Food which is chewy needs

to be chewed a lot before it becomes soft enough to swallow.

It's these tapioca balls which give bubble tea its name.

You might say they're bubble tea's signature ingredient -

They're a special feature

for which something is particularly known. For example,

paella is the signature dish of Spain.

What's more, because tapioca doesn't have a strong taste,

different flavours can be added,

making bubble tea an innovative, meaning new and original, drink.

Liu Han-Chieh's invention was inspired by a trip to Japan,

where he saw people enjoy an iced milk tea on a hot summer's day.

When he added tapioca balls, which he found in a local market

on his return to Taiwan, the bubbly new beverage was born.

But it was only when famous international celebrities,

including basketball player Michael Jordan and movie star Jackie Chan

started visiting his tea shop that Liu Han-Chieh's

bubble tea began a revolution in the tea-drinking world. Here is Liu Han-Chieh

telling more to BBC World Service Programme

'Witness History':

Pearl milk tea got huge media coverage and it spread like wildfire.

But I always say we have many other products and the reason pearl milk

tea became so popular was pure luck. It was a miracle.

Thanks to its celebrity fans,

Liu Han Chieh's

bubble tea became an international bestseller and news

of his exciting new drink spread like wildfire - an idiom meaning

it became quickly known by many people. As more and more people tried it

and fell in love with its smooth chewy taste,

bubble tea spread to neighbouring countries like South Korea and China

and then to the rest of the world. For Liu Han-Chieh,

it was a miracle -

a very lucky event that is surprising and unexpected.

It's great to hear about something that gives a modern twist to a drink

that's part of a country's traditional culture.

Maybe that's what we need here in Britain, too.

Yes, your question was about the fact

that nowadays more people in Britain prefer coffee than tea.

I think it is time you revealed the answer.

Right, I asked you what percent of Brits still regularly prefer drinking tea

over coffee and you said 49%, which was... the wrong answer

I'm afraid, Neil!

In fact, around 59% of Brits still regularly drink tea.

Maybe it's time for a bubble

tea revolution over here.

OK, let's recap the vocabulary

we've learnt in this programme, starting with cuppa -

an informal word in British English for a cup of tea.

The word signature describes a special feature

for which something is particularly known.

It's chewy - it needs to be chewed a lot before it soft enough to swallow.

The adjective 'innovative' means new and original.

If something spreads like wildfire,

it becomes quickly known by more and more people.

And finally, a miracle is a very lucky event that is surprising and unexpected.

Once again, our six minutes are up

but remember to join us again next time

for more topical discussion and useful vocabulary here at 6 Minute

English. Goodbye for now.

Bye!