Bubble Tea at the Taiwan Tea House

At the sound of the words "bubble tea" my heart skips a beat. I've had a three year love affair for this Taiwanese specialty. My first bubble tea was in St. Louis, then in Chicago, then Lafayette, then INDY! I practically bounded inside the Taiwan Tea House to see if they carry my beloved beverage. To my elation, they do! As if things couldn't get any better, the Taiwan Tea House is only 10 minutes from my house. The rapture!

The hardest part about ordering a bubble tea is choosing the flavor. The Taiwan Tea House has 34 flavor combinations! First choose your type of tea: red or green. Then pick your flavor. Flavors range from strawberry to plum and even kumquat lemon. Plain red or green is available for the traditionalists. The flavor pictured here is the coconut red milk tea. Be sure to mention to the waiter if you want bubbles. They don't automatically come in the tea. They are an extra 50 cents and worth every penny.

Strangely, this beverage is only about 30 years old. It originated in Taiwan at a small tea concession. The "bubble" refers to the little black "pearls" or "boba" which are basically large balls of tapioca. This may sound strange, but it's actually extremely satisfying. Slurping the sweet, slightly slushy tea and chewing on the bubbles is therapeutic for people, like yours truly, who must chomp or bite something during every waking hour of the day. Old Freud would have something to say about that.... Regardless, this is the ultimate refreshing summer drink. Bring on summer and bring on the bubble tea!

Oh, P.S., the Taiwan Tea House serves food. I was too blinded by the tea to notice. I'll get on the food another day.