Introduction:From the invention of bubble tea by Chun Shui Tang in Taiwan in 1987 to the rise of lemon tea trends and niche spices such as Ya Shi Xiang in recent years, the evolution of add-ins in milk tea has undergone multiple groundbreaking transformations. This article delves into the key milestones of this evolution, from the classic trio of tapioca pearls, pudding, and grass jelly in the early days, to how innovative elements like bergamot, turmeric, and peach gum have reshaped the tea beverage market in recent years, while also exploring the trend insights behind shifts in consumer preferences.
Modern milk tea offers a wide variety of add-in choices, with pudding, tapioca pearls, and grass jelly once being indispensable staples. However, as time has passed, these options have gradually lost their novelty. Going back to 1987, Chun Shui Tang in Taiwan was the first to incorporate the local snack fen yuan (small tapioca balls) into milk tea, creating the wildly popular bubble tea. This innovative drink not only established Taiwan’s tea beverages on the international stage but also pioneered the culture of adding ingredients to drinks.
In 1997, bubble tea made its way to the Chinese mainland market. The eye-catching design of the “Boba Milk Tea Delivery Cart” successfully attracted young consumers at the time. It is worth noting that the creative idea of adding fen yuan to tea drinks later spawned endless possibilities, including CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice’s pioneering three-in-one combination of tapioca pearls, pudding, and grass jelly in 2007 — later dubbed by the public as the “Milk Tea Three Brothers.”
The add-in culture also faced challenges. In 2012, rumors circulated in the market claiming that tapioca pearls were made of plastic, leading to a temporary boycott. However, CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice’s strategy of offering a variety of compound add-ins successfully reversed the decline. Soon after, emerging options such as coconut jelly and agar jelly were introduced to the market, enriching consumer choices. In 2009, Happy Lemon introduced the concept of “milk tea toppings,” which, along with the explosive popularity of HEYTEA’s cheese tea series, officially kicked off the milk cap tea revolution.
In 2013, Hello Tea launched an innovative “Five Grains Tea,” combining freshly cooked grains with tea beverages, making oats, highland barley, and other grains new favorites. The market focus then shifted to milk cap tea and fruit tea, until 2018 when HEYTEA’s “Brown Sugar Tapioca Fresh Milk” once again sparked a craze, with dessert elements such as taro paste and mochi also being incorporated into the range of add-in options.
Recent trends have shifted significantly, with lemon tea without any add-ins gaining favor among younger demographics. Statistics show that there are over a thousand lemon tea-related businesses nationwide, with 440 new ones added in 2021. Modern add-ins have become even more diverse, coexisting with traditional wellness ingredients like rosemary, cinnamon, white fungus, and goji berries, as well as emerging options like peach gum and turmeric.
Tea beverage brands continue to innovate ceaselessly. Tea Bai Dao launched bergamot lemon tea, Shu Yi Shao Nian Cao combined taro paste with chestnuts, and Hello Tea upgraded its collagen jelly. A brand from Chongqing even started incorporating tofu into tea. Notably, in 2023, Ya Shi Xiang milk tea went viral, with Nayuki’s related product achieving an astonishing 150 million views on Weibo, demonstrating that niche tea varieties can also create market miracles.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
