In addition, other ingredients that are commonly added to boba drinks include jelly (Nata de coco) and egg pudding. Less commonly, white tapioca pearls are used, and these are made from cassava starch, caramel, and chamomile root and have a different flavor (Weil 2012). The primary component in boba teas are the black tapioca “boba” balls, which are usually made from cassava starch, sweet potato, and brown sugar. Internet blogs describe boba as more than just tea drinks some have suggested that these are tea desserts (Rosen 2015). Over the years, the original boba milk tea drink has expanded to consist of more variations and combinations. There is even a boba school devoted to teaching the trade of making boba drinks to clients interested in opening a boba store (Wei 2015). As it has become so popular and commonplace, individuals can purchase their own boba ingredients and watch YouTube videos to learn techniques for how to make boba teas at home (Nuts, 2016). In the United States, the popularity of boba is such that there is a designated page on Wikipedia to detail the history of boba tea, along with a listing of over 13 boba store chains, and descriptions of over 200 variations in boba drinks (Tea 2016, Wikipedia, 2016). The popularity of boba tea has expanded to Europe, with boba stores now in metropolitan cities such as London (Townsend 2014). Evidence of this drink's popularity in the United States is clear: a quick search on Yelp using the key words “boba tea” yields more than 200 listings of boba tea stores, just in the Los Angeles area alone (Yelp, 2016). These beverages are usually consumed with a large straw, through which the tapioca balls are slurped and chewed.īoba tea beverages are especially popular in large metropolitan areas with high concentrations of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth and young adults (Rosen 2015). These boba balls are made of tapioca, which are boiled to produce a round chewy ball that is then added to hot and cold beverages such as tea, coffee, smoothies, slushies, and blended beverages. The central ingredient in this type of drink is “boba” or “pearl” balls. The origin of this beverage dates back to the 1980s in Taiwan, where a Taiwanese tea shop owner, Liu Han‐Chieh, and his product development manager, Lin Hsiu Hui, experimented with adding different ingredients such as fruit, syrup, and Tapioca ball in milk tea beverages (Chang 2012). With the growing popularity of boba beverages in the United States, the findings from this study provide public health practitioners with valuable data on how boba beverages compare with other SSBs.īoba milk tea, also known as bubble or pearl tea, first became popular in the 1990s throughout Asia, and has gained more popularity in the United States and in Europe since 2000 (Alexander 2001). Also, prudent public health recommendations should be suggested for moderate consumption of these beverages. Nutrition education targeting Asian populations should give special attention to boba tea as a SSB. The high caloric and sugar content of boba beverages pose public health concerns as they have the potential to further exacerbate the childhood obesity epidemic. One 16‐ounce boba drink exceeds the upper limit of added sugar intake recommended by the 2015 US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Results suggested that boba drinks fit the US Dietary Guidelines definition of a SSB. This study experimentally determined the sugar composition (sucrose, fructose, glucose, and melezitose) and calorific values of boba milk tea drinks and their components. One published nutrition study suggests that boba tea drinks are part of the larger group of sugar‐sweetened beverages ( SSB) because these beverages are usually sweetened with high‐fructose corn syrup ( HFCS). Currently, available nutrition data from online sites suggest this beverage contains high amounts of sugar and fat. Boba milk tea, first became popular in the 1990s throughout Asia, and has gained more popularity in the United States and in Europe since 2000. In the last several decades, obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions, and increases the risk for a host of comorbidities, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain kinds of cancers.
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