11 November 2021
By Kishapravin S/O Vinod & Nurin Afiqah Bte Norman
Bubble tea has been in Singapore for over 20 years. How has the treasured classic changed from the time it was made in the 1990s to the current delicacy we so often drink today?
An Each-a-Cup staff member seen packing up multiple cups of bubble teas into takeaway bags, catering to the busy lunch crowd at the franchise’s Causeway Point outlet in Singapore. (PHOTO BY: KISHAPRAVIN S/O VINOD)
It was the start of rush hour, the time when the masses would finally be able to get off work. Craving something sweet to keep their tummies full until they get dinner, some of the adults would drop by Singapore's homegrown tea brand outlet, LiHo, at Choa Chu Kang.
At only 17 years old, Lim Kia Yee, a bubble tea barista – a tearista, as most tea shops call their bartenders – had to quickly whip up the decadent drink for the customers. Their faces light up with joy at the first sip of the luscious liquid. It was a stressful period of time but as a bubble tea fan herself, Kia Yee understands their love for the beverage that has now become a classic.
However, the bubble tea industry has not always been a smooth-sailing one.
Bubble tea, also known as boba tea or black pearl tea, is a classic Taiwanese beverage that was invented in 1986. According to Hanlin Tea Room, it all started when Taiwanese artist and entrepreneur, Tu Tsong He, was looking for a new idea for his teahouse. He decided to experiment with white tapioca balls, creating something that would fill the hearts and stomachs of many for years to come.
Even though bubble tea was invented in the 1980s, it only reached Singapore’s shores in 1992. The first bubble tea store in Singapore, Bubble Tea Garden, opened in Marina Square. They served outlandish flavours of bubble tea such as Honey Egg Yolk and Whiskey Red Tea, but it was nonetheless adored by many.
Despite being generally well-received when it first hit the shores of Singapore, it was only in 2001 that bubble tea began to truly capture the hearts of Singaporeans. The drink soared in popularity from March to October 2001, when stores were serving between 800 to 1,000 cups a day. By 2002, there were at least 5,000 bubble tea stores in Singapore.
Customers flocked to brands such as Cool Station, Quickly and Milk Girl Ice Cup. However, the two relentless bubble tea franchises that have stood the test of time would be Sweet Talk and Each-a-Cup.
While looking back at the days when Kia Yee, now 20 years old, first found out about the drink in 2008, she said: “I started drinking it (bubble tea) when I was in primary school. The Blue Coral drink from Sweet Talk was my favourite.”
However, bubble tea started dying out of popularity at the end of 2002 due to business concerns revolving around price wars and level of competitiveness between franchises. Due to the rapid increase in bubble tea stores all over the nation, franchises were forced to lower the prices of their drinks and hold frequent promotions to entice customers. The emergence of do-it-yourself bubble tea sets also allowed Singaporeans to create and enjoy bubble tea in the comfort of their own homes.
The representative for Each-a-Cup, Mr Ivan Chua, added that “the bubble burst for bubble-tea could have been due to too many brands coming in, in which some did not meet the standards”. This ran bubble tea stores out of business, leading to a massive decline in its demand and supply.
Bubble tea had gone through an inconsistent patch over the last few years, coming in and out of Singapore’s ever diverse food scene. Its resurgence in the second wave from 2007 to 2011 caused bubble tea to rise into fame again.
Taiwanese brands such as Koi and Gong Cha entered the Singapore market in 2007 and 2009 respectively, causing a frenzy of boba lovers to purchase a cup. These two franchises strived to perfect their recipes, placing utmost importance in the quality and taste of their products. This led to long queues being spotted all over the island. Unfortunately, the hype did not last long because of rising health concerns.
The bubble tea made back then had many chemicals such as artificial sweeteners and colouring used in them to give off its sweet and tacky flavour.
On the other hand, businesses now, such as Bober Tea, prize their products for crafting authentic, high-quality tea that is brewed fresh in store. The pearls are cooked consistently to ensure its maximum quality for good chewiness.
Mr Mark, the operations manager of Bober Tea, remarked: “It evolved from being a cheap product, using cheap ingredients, to a product that educates consumers about the value of tea. Premium ingredients and fresh products being used. It changed the consumers’ perspective about bubble tea.”
But nothing could have prepared us for the biggest bubble tea wave that happened in 2019.
There was an increase in bubble tea franchises in Singapore including Tiger Sugar, The Alley and Milksha. There was buzz on social media for consumers to post photos of their bubble tea drinks online. The constant fear of missing out (FOMO) that non-bubble tea drinkers felt when seeing their peers post about their beverages led many people wanting to participate in the trend as well.
Social media also grew into a platform where reviews and information of different bubble tea trends were shared. Mr Mark believes that social media was a key player in establishing purchase confidence amongst consumers. He said: “Social media helps a lot. They (consumers) are able to find out information about drinks through websites. There was no such convenience back in the 90s”.
More franchises have adapted accordingly to the evolution of bubble tea by introducing brand new unique flavours. The Strawberry crème brulee (second from right) is a speciality drink recently launched by Gong Cha. (PHOTO BY: KISHAPRAVIN S/O VINOD)
After bubble tea made its comeback, it continued to evolve but this time beyond just being an iconic drink. The emergence and sudden growth in popularity of new drink series such as the brown sugar series and fruit teas sold across various reputable establishments such as LiHo - recognised as a revamped, local Gong Cha – and Koi, allowed the drink to stay relevant in Singapore.
“(The) introduction of new trends that can be incorporated into bubble tea flavours acts as a catalyst for a sudden surge of interest in bubble tea. When new flavours become popular/ go viral, the demand surges,” said Mr Chua.
As compared to its traditional self, many variations of up-and-coming bubble tea drinks do not necessarily need to contain milk as one of its ingredients. New variations of the drink provide customers with different tastes and experiences, while still holding onto the essence of bubble tea. This allows bubble tea to tap into and appeal to other groups of consumers with different dietary preferences and needs.
“The consumer mindset has switched because the government has educated the people about obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes,” said Mr Mark. “It has allowed us to grow as a brand with a variety of sugar levels for customers to choose.”
Bober Tea Operations Manager, Mark, spoke about the rising trend of bubble tea in Singapore and how that might evolve in the next ten years via a Zoom call on Nov 10, 2021. (PHOTO BY: NURIN AFIQAH BTE NORMAN)
Kia Yee appreciates the fact that “bubble tea is more customisable. You can choose whatever toppings you want with whatever drink you want as your base.” She has become more wary of her health in recent years and has opted for healthier drink options such as fruit teas with less sugar.
Each-a-Cup also has “collaborated yearly with the Health Promotion Board on their Eat, Drink, Shop Healthy campaign to encourage healthier purchases”. They play their part by developing different drinks with unique benefits and segregating them into different groups so that “it (is) easier for different consumer groups to find exactly what fits their needs when they buy a drink”.
The bubble tea industry has also become widely accessible and affordable with countless of stores being set up across the island, offering cheaper alternatives and promotions on their menus. These promotions are especially targeted towards students, with many franchises offering a discounted price on weekdays for those who present their student card.
Since its most recent resurgence, bubble tea has evolved and successfully integrated itself into the Singaporean culture – one of the salient reasons behind its popularity. Beyond just the original milk tea, one can find a wide array of drinks from cheese teas to lattes, being sold in bubble tea franchises. It has even been adapted to fit the local palate by incorporating Singaporean flavours such as LiHo’s Kaya Toast Milk Green Tea and Pandan Avocado.
Huang Yating, a 19-year-old Gong Cha tearista and another bubble tea zealous, feels that bubble tea establishments roll out new drinks frequently in other to “keep up with the trend” and “cater to different people”.
As part of a newly launched coconut series drinks at Bober Tea, Mr Mark explained how hopping onto the current trend of coconut shakes has helped Bober Tea see an increase in revenue of 15 percent. While this would not be the lifelong future of Bober Tea because he feels as if this is a “short-term” trend, it does help the company “reach their target set”.
Unlike coconut shakes, that are the new in-thing, bubble tea is more versatile.
“Tea is often a traditional drink consumed in Asian culture. Most important is also the great taste which can be consumed healthily based on the customer's sugar and topping preference. Wide variety of flavours allows for greater customisation so it’s quite different from coconut/ avocado shakes,” said Mr Chua.
Apart from appealing to a wide range of people through an extensive menu, Kia Yee feels that the freedom of customisation that customers are presented with are one of the biggest advantages bubble tea has over other forms of beverages. There are countless toppings one could choose from such as jellies, fruits, and ice creams.
Each-a-Cup also commented that “modern bubble teas are bringing in newer and bolder flavours that we previously never saw in bubble teas, such as matcha, cream cheese, and fresh fruit teas”.
Yating firmly believes that bubble tea has effectively transformed itself into a source of familiarity amongst Singaporeans.
“Bubble tea has become a must-have item in gatherings,” she said. She also added that the drink has become a cultural staple in this city-state, something that is used for one to bond with their family and friends.
Mr Chua added: “It’s become a culture in itself and a lifestyle. Bubble tea dates are a norm now. Friends meet up to grab bubble tea or deliver bubble tea over to each other’s houses. Bubble tea is a love language.”
In light with Singaporeans’ obsession with bubble tea, companies have been jumping onto the bandwagon to put their own twist on the popular delicacy. Food & Beverage (F&B) companies started inventing foods such as bubble tea hotpot, bubble tea pizza, bubble tea ice cream, and bubble tea sandwiches. Even commercial businesses that have nothing to do with bubble tea have produced items such as bubble tea sleeping packs and bubble tea plushies.
The different fusion foods that have been created incorporating bubble tea (clockwise from top left): bubble tea ice cream, bubble tea pizza, bubble tea sandwich, bubble tea hotpot.(PHOTO BY IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:SETH LUI, SETH LUI, BOBA BOMB PH, SETH LUI)
While these products may have sparked the interest and curiosity of consumers, they have gotten some mixed reactions over it.
Kia Yee feels that these fusion foods are “weird”, and one should have an “acquired taste” to enjoy these products. Yating, on the other hand, finds them rather delicious and enjoys the bubble tea ice cream and bubble tea sandwiches.
Even though it may seem as though these products would affect the sales of the original drink, Bober Tea does not feel threatened by it. Mr Mark said: “It’s fun to see how bubble tea has been used in other dishes, but in the end, bubble tea drinks are still the preferred choice.”
Singaporeans put bubble tea into their hearts and souls, but how long will this adoration last?
According to a study conducted by Fortune Business Insights™, the global bubble tea market is expected to reach US$3.39 billion (SG$4.57 billion) by 2027. That is US$1.37 billion (SG$1.85 billion) more than the bubble tea market share in 2019.
Some ways the bubble tea industry would evolve in the next ten years would be through mass production of their products so that they can sell it to places such as supermarkets, petrol stations and convenience stores. It will take the form of soft drink packaging which can be stored for a long time without expiring.
Another change would be in the layout of the physical bubble tea stores. Yating said: “People bond over bubble tea so it’ll be better if they (bubble tea chains) provide a space for people to bond.” The delectable drink has become a “lifestyle product” where “people come in just to enjoy bubble tea, look at the ambience, chit-chat, and do their work”.
Customers can be spotted waiting to collect their bubble tea orders at ShareTea’s Causeway Point outlet. ShareTea is one of the pioneers of the global bubble tea industry, owning 300 stores across 16 countries including 3 in Singapore. (PHOTO BY: KISHAPRAVIN S/O VINOD)
Automating the whole bubble tea store would be another future evolvement in the bubble tea industry. From taking the orders, creating the drinks to serving the customers. Although Mr Mark has added that doing so “involves a lot of money and a lot of innovation”, it is a possibility that could happen.
After all, the base of bubble tea is tea leaves. Because of this, Mr Mark feels as though “bubble tea will never die” because there are so many ways one could consume them.
“Whether it’s a new flavour that can be incorporated, or new toppings. The possibilities are endless, so with a lot of hope, the love for bubble tea will remain as strong as it is today,” said Mr Chua.
Because of the multiple waves that bubble tea has gone through in the past two decades, it is not certain whether this beloved boba beverage will continue to stay with us for the next 10 years. However, one thing we do know is that it will continue to fill our hearts and stomachs with love and satisfaction.
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