The name started as “bo ba”, the Chinese name for the tapioca pearls, and the west turned it into “bubble”. No idea what the original Chinese means, could just be bubble.
The original chinese name before i was introduced to the english name is 珍珠奶茶(zhen zhu nai cha), literally translated as pearl milk tea. That’s around mid 2000s. Not sure which come first though, bubble or boba.
The original chinese name before i was introduced to the english name is 珍珠奶茶(zhen zhu nai cha), literally translated as pearl milk tea. That’s around mid 2000s. Not sure which come first though, bubble or boba.