Although it is difficult to trace back exactly its first origins, most experts believe that bubble tea first originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s. Some specifically trace its origins back to Taiwanese tea shop owner, Liu Han Chieh, who experimented with cold milk tea in 1983.

It is believed that he first experimented with fruit, syrup, candied yams, and then eventually tapioca pearls. Originally, the drink did not catch on until it received attention and publicity from a Japanese television show. Following that, bubble tea rapidly gained interest in the 1990s.

Now, it has become an international drink as its popularity continues to grow worldwide.

Bubble tea is also commonly known as:

· Bubble Milk Tea
· Bubble Tea Drink
· Boba
· Boba Drink
· Boba Nai Cha - "Nai Cha" means 'milk tea' in Chinese
· Boba Tea
· Pearl Milk Tea
· Pearl Tea
· Tran Chau - Vietnamese Usage

Bubble tea was originally called 'bubble' tea because of the bubbles that would appear after vigorously shaking the drink in a cocktail shaker, not because of the boba (tapioca pearls).

However, since the tapioca pearls were later added to it, the name further solidified as 'bubble tea' because now the drink had bubbles both on the top (froth) and on the bottom (tapioca pearls) of the drink.