Where did bubble tea originate?

Bubble tea (also known as boba or pearl milk tea) originated in Taiwan in the 1980s. Specifically, it can be traced to a teahouse in Taichung, central Taiwan, where Liu Han-Chieh and Lin Hsiu-Hui experimented with adding various toppings to iced teas. They initially used tapioca pearls, but other variations emerged over time. Bubble tea quickly gained popularity and spread throughout East and Southeast Asia before becoming a global beverage trend.