Bubble tea's Taiwan origin story: economic boom, national identity and betrayal

Mar 14, 2024
The self-governing island consumes a billion cups a year of the milk tea with the chewy tapioca pearls. Globally, it's a $3 billion industry.
Bubble tea at Chun Shui Tang. Each glass follows a strict tea-to ice-to tapioca-ball ratio.
Jennifer Pak/Marketplace

World's biggest tea company might get out of the business

Jan 30, 2020
Consumers are turning away from the basic black beverage toward more "innovative" brands.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images