Bubbly goodness!

Walking around Prague, you’ve probably seen groups of teenagers everywhere, clutching large plastic cups of what looks like brightly coloured juice, filled with bouncing bubbles of different colours. So what is this weird phenomenon? Let me tell you about bubble tea.

Bubble tea, or boba tea, is a beverage which originated in Taiwan in the 80s, and is slowly growing in popularity throughout the world. Bubble tea comes in two different types- fruit or milk varieties, with several different flavours. There are a few different bubble tea stores throughout Prague, but there’s one which is more predominant than others- Bubbleology. This London-based company has several different stalls, mostly in shopping centres like Flora, Palladium and Pankrac.

Bubble tea can be spotted easily due to several characteristics- firstly, the vivid colours of the fruit flavours. With flavours like lychee, mango and passion fruit, it’s no wonder the drinks look so bright! Secondly, the unmistakeable bubbles in the bottom of the cup- either tapioca pearls, as per the original recipe, or “popping boba”, little balls of flavour which burst in your mouth! And finally, the almost comically oversized straw used to get these little bubbles of deliciousness into your mouth.

Although the drink itself seems more popular with the younger generation, probably because of the sweet taste- it’s not unusual to see people of all ages walking around with these cups. The flavour and sensation of bubble tea is hard to describe in words, so just trust me when I say you need to try one. But be warned! It might turn into a bit of an addiction!