The bubble tea sensation

LONG before “bubble tea” was reinvented

in Taiwan in the early 80’s, I was already a big fan of “sago” or tapioca pearls. I grew up enjoying this refreshingly delicious cold beverage

we called “samalamig,” made of sago pearls and gulaman (agar agar) cubes in crushed ice sweetened with muscovado (red sugar) syrup. This ubiquitous drink, which has been around for a long time, is still sold in many corner stores in Metro Manila and from carts roaming the streets especially during summer.

In whatever color (translucent white, black or green) or size (tiny or marble-sized), these tapioca pearls are so addictive. There is something about its chewiness that just makes us crave for more. Pearl Milk Tea, Bubble Tea or the comfort drink “Sago at Gulaman” has white or black tapioca pearls or balls as the main

ingredient. Zagu, a Philippine owned franchise company introduced delicious varieties of

flavored bubble tea drinks in late 1999. The bubble tea drink with chewy tapioca balls took Metro Manila and several provinces including Cebu by storm where people unbelievably queued just to buy a glass of Zagu Milk Tea

in various flavors. It has become a trend and different bubble tea drink brands have been entering the market.

Irrepressible Johnlu Koa, founder of The French Baker Inc., a chain of bakeshops that

offers world-class French pastries, has expanded his

entrepreneurial savvy by setting up the Teabros Corporation in January 2011 as master franchisee of Chatime, a tea beverage brand from Taiwan owned by La Kaffa International Co. Chatime is the global leader in the bubble tea industry. The brand

Chatime has since expanded to 600 branches worldwide, making it the largest brand in the world. Mr. Koa’s first branch opened in Pioneer Center

in Pasig in April 2011 and there are at least 25

more in Metro Manila. Here, Chatime recently opened at the eBloc 2 Asiatown in IT Park in Apas, Cebu City. The French Baker team of Mr. Johnlu

Koa is behind the growth of Chatime and looks to opening some 30 stores by the end of 2012.

Mr. Koa shares the vision of La Kaffa International to create an eastern version of the global brand Starbucks. He says that Chatime tea is fresh and brewed on site with real tea leaves that makes it more aromatic and healthier, too. Different natural flavors are added to make for a delicious Chatime Bubble Tea. My personal favorites

include Mellow Milk Teas such as Oolong, Taro and Strawberry with those chewy tapioca balls. State-of-the-art machines do the brewing and preparation of the tea beverages so the taste and quality are consistent. Amount of sweetness can also be adjusted to one’s taste. And soon, a sugar-free drink will be available using only natural sweeteners like agave nectar. The menu is quite extensive and includes Smoothie Series, Chatime Mousse, Energetic Healthy Juices, interesting special mix of fruit juices with green and black tea like Mango Green tea, Passion Fruit Green tea and more. Trying and enjoying all the Bubble Tea flavors gives me a reason to frequent Chatime.