New brews: What is bubble tea and where can I buy a cup of it in Cork?
There's no bursting this bubble: boba tea is the latest food and drink craze to hit Cork
If you pay close attention to Instagram, you might have noticed that by the end of the summer, all the cool kids had replaced their iced coffees with a new beverage, and it looks really well in photos.
Yes, welcome to the age of bubble tea.
Bubble tea or boba tea is the latest craze to reach our shores but it has been around for 40 years. It originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and it gets its unique look from the tapioca balls it contains.
The tea can come with or without milk and generally has a base of black, green or oolong tea. Generally, it comes with a special boba straw which is larger to make room for those tapioca balls, which are edible. Traditionally, it is served in a takeaway cup.
The beverage is brewed by mixing the ingredients, usually sugar, powders and other flavourings, by hand with a bubble tea shaker cup or by using a machine.
Bubble tea became popular across Asia in the 1990s and in recent years it has led to food offshoots, such as bubble tea ice cream, pizza, toast, sushi, and ramen.
Its popularity is so strong in its home country that last year, Taiwan declared April 30 the annual National Bubble Tea Day. In a report late last year, it was estimated that China’s consumption of bubble tea has reached five times that of coffee, according to analysts at China Merchants Securities.
The bubble is far from bursting on this trend, so yes. Bubble tea shops have popped up around Cork in recent months and are proving popular, with queues regularly seen outside the establishments.
Serving bubble tea and bubble waffles, Nana’s is open every day from 12pm to 8.30pm. Flavours include their signature milk tea as well as lemon, avocado and matcha.
All of the ice coffees here come with the option of boba in various forms, including tapioca, poppers or jellies. They also offer hot bubble tea, perfect for an Irish winter.
As well as serving sushi and SOMA coffee, Sensei offer authentic boba tea made with a Taiwanese milk tea brand, which they say provides “that authentic milk tea experience.”
The brainchild of 20-year-old student Eva Shanahan, Brewba was a hit when it opened its doors at the start of the summer. Now back to college, Eva is opening the café on Sundays during term time. Ideal for coffee lovers on a Sunday spin.
