TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's bubble milk tea has become a global phenomenon in recent years and is rapidly gaining popularity in the United States.
Data from Yelp, a U.S. food rating platform, reveals that the number of bubble milk tea shops in seven U.S. cities surged by over 60% from 2019 to 2020, with Chicago and Philadelphia in the lead.
A market research company projected that the US＄640 million U.S. bubble milk tea market in 2023 will grow to US＄2.2 billion within a decade.
Huang Chung-pi, director of a pearl milk tea company’s international operations management office, attributed the trend to the drink's popularity among younger people and its increasing accessibility with more stores opening.
According to reports, in 2022, tapioca pearls are the U.S.'s largest food imports from Taiwan. In the same year, the U.S. imported from Taiwan about 30.5 million kilograms of raw materials to make tapioca pearls.
Chen Kun-tse, a marketing manager at a food company that makes tapioca pearls, shared that the company automated its factories to boost performance, and highlighted that they export 30% of their products to the U.S.
Experts also credit the success of bubble milk tea to online influencers and the increasing appreciation and understanding of Asian culture with the rise of K-pop.
Being a local snack in Taiwan, bubble milk tea’s popularity is expected to continue rising.