logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
10m 4s

The invention of bubble tea

Bbc World Service
About this episode

In 1987, a tea shop in Taiwan named Chun Shui Tang began selling pearl milk tea, or bubble tea, as it’s often called.

It would revolutionise the tea-drinking world.

Ben Henderson speaks to Liu Han-Chieh, the shop owner, and Lin Xiuhu, who first added the drink’s signature tapioca balls.

(Photo: Bubble tea. Credit: Chun Shui Tang)

Up next
Apr 2025
The Cu Chi tunnels of the Vietnam War
During the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese VietCong guerrillas built a vast network of tunnels in the south of the country as part of the insurgency against the South Vietnamese government and their American allies. The tunnel network was a key base and shelter for the North Vietna ... Show More
9m 43s
Yesterday
Portugal’s worst train disaster
On 11 September 1985 in Mangualde, central Portugal, an express train collided head-on with a regional train killing an estimated 150 people.The impact destroyed both engines and the leaking diesel caught fire. Many of the bodies were unidentifiable after passengers who survived ... Show More
10m 36s
Mar 3
Elvis visits Scotland
In 1960, as he headed home from military service, the King of Rock ’n’ Roll made an unexpected stop at Prestwick Airport.It's believed to be the only time Elvis Presley is known to have set foot on British soil.It was only a brief visit, but for 16 year old Anne Murphy, watching ... Show More
11m 12s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
It's Tea Time: Pirates, Polyphenols, and a Proper Cuppa (encore)
This week, Gastropod tells the story of two countries and their shared obsession with a plant: Camellia sinensis, otherwise known as the tea bush. The Chinese domesticated tea over thousands of years, but they lost their near monopoly on international trade when a Scottish botani ... Show More
45m 21s
Feb 2022
#238 | A Short History Of Tea
<p><strong> </strong></p><br><p>It's the second most popular drink in the world after water, with 3.7 billion cups drunk every single day.</p><p>In this episode, we explore tea's fascinating history, how it changed global politics, caused countries to go to war with each other, a ... Show More
23m 46s
Jan 2024
#284 The History of Tea in the UK
tail spinning
12m 18s
Nov 2020
SYSK Selects: How Tea Works
<p>Legend has it that tea was discovered by a curious Chinese emperor after leaves blew into his boiled water. Now tea is the second only to water in popularity worldwide. And despite the varieties of tea, they all come from a single species of plant. Learn all about it in this c ... Show More
51m 51s
Dec 2023
Short Stuff: Boba Tea
Boba tea is bubble tea. But what are the bubbles? Tapioca pearls! Listen in today to learn about the disputed history of this trendy beverage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
11m 43s
Jan 2024
#285 How to make a cup of tea?
tail spinning
11m 41s