Bubbleology

The Bubble Tea trend sweeps through London

Bubble tea started out as a Taiwanese drink. Its structure is very basic: tea, mixed with fruit juice or milk, with the addition of either tapioca balls or fruit jelly. The combination of food, the chewy tapioca, and drink, the tea, is a hit amongst everyone. It’s one of those foods that exist as a microcosm of Asian culture – simple, yet full of flavour. And yet, somehow, it’s blown up all over the world. The general consensus is this: if you haven’t tried this, then you’re missing out.

One company stands out above all the others in London: ‘Bubbleology’. It literally means the study of, well, bubbles. It’s all about ‘fun’ for them, no matter how that comes across. Its logo is splattered with every colour of the rainbow. Its website resembles the traditional chalkboard, with chemical symbols giving a sense of complexity. But look closer: faux chemical formulas of vanilla and jasmine poke at the idea that it’s not rocket science. What makes bubble tea so interesting is the concept itself: the only requirements are that it must contain a tea base, and have tapioca balls or jelly at the bottom. Apart from that, go crazy. It’s essentially a challenge for makers to be as creative as they possibly can.

There’s categories of bubble tea. Milk tea is the classic, with various flavours including matcha, honeydew, and papaya. Next come the fruit teas: more translucent, they emphasise the health aspect to these drinks, and are solely restricted to fruit flavours – the favourites are apple and lychee. There are even ‘specialties’ – see what I meant by creativity? Oreo, banoffee, and they even include a cocktail option, although this is only available at the Soho branch.

With such a quirky twist to an Asian classic, it’s no wonder why Bubbleology have twelve stores across the UK, and counting. It mocks the idea that making this requires scientific planning; some stores even have employees dressed in white lab coats for the full effect. And yet, there must be some scientific formula behind this company’s success.

Sebastian Yim

TripTide User