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Witness History: The invention of bubble tea

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The invention of bubble tea

21/11/2023 GMT

BBC World Service - Witness History, The invention of bubble tea

Chun Shui Tang tea house in Taiwan began selling bubble tea in 1987

Chun Shui Tang tea house in Taiwan began selling bubble tea in 1987. The drink would revolutionise the tea-drinking world. Liu Han-Chieh and Lin Xiuhu created it.

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)

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