""

Kung Fu Tea, which opened at 2202 N. High St. in April 2020, is a popular location for Ohio State students to try sought-after bubble tea. Credit: Gabe Haferman | Assistant Photo Editor

From sparkling water and kombucha to pumpkin spice lattes and milkshakes with a million toppings, trends within the drink world are nothing new.

One of the latest liquid crazes is bubble tea, a pop culture phenomenon that has dug its heels in and seems to be here to stay, based on the number of locations around Columbus dedicated solely to the drink. Bubble tea, also called boba, has made its way to Columbus over the past several years, mirroring the influx of its popularity across the country and across the Internet as locations such as Kung Fu Tea, First Corner Bubble Tea Shop and others have popped up.

Kung Fu Tea, which opened at 2202 N. High St. in April 2020, is a popular location for Ohio State students to try the sought-after drink. Vincent Lee, general manager of the off-campus location, said Kung Fu Tea originated in New York, but the roots of bubble tea itself, a drink with “bubbles,” or pearls made from tapioca starch, go deeper. 

“Bubble tea originated from Taichung, Taiwan, which is actually where I am from,” Lee said. “I know it wasn’t a thing when I was growing up, and then it started to become really popular. The original bubbles were a lot smaller than the bubbles we have right now, and then when it became popular, the drink evolved.”

Lee said he would use the words “flavorful” and “delicious” to describe bubble tea, but the characteristics of the drink itself are only part of the reason it rose to popularity.

Andrea Leciejewski, manager at First Corner Bubble Tea Shop in Bexley, which opened July 3 and boasts flavors such as caramel milk tea and peach flavor tea, said social media has greatly contributed to the rise of bubble tea.

“Recently, bubble tea has been going crazy on TikTok, which is a popular social media app,” Leciejewski said. “I know a lot of people will see different recipes on TikTok for bubble tea and then come in here asking us to make certain things they see off of social media.” 

Leciejewski said part of what makes the drink so unique, and thus, so interesting to people both on and off the Internet, are the tapioca pearls — the edible aspect of bubble tea with a gummy-like consistency. 

“When people first hear about it they’re like, ‘Wait, what?’ and then everyone has an idea of what they think it tastes like, but the only way they’ll understand it is to try it,” Leciejewski said. 

Lee said Kung Fu Tea refers to itself as “America’s bubble tea shop” because they work on ensuring their products appeal to the average American consumer with flavors such as winter melon milk tea, mango green tea and honey oolong tea listed on the Kung Fu Tea website.     

“What we are making here is not what I am used to drinking in Taiwan, which is fine, because here at Kung Fu Tea, we are all about trying to accommodate for the American palate,” Lee said. “We have drinks that are more familiar for the people here.”  

At the end of the day, regardless of what happens to the popularity of bubble tea in Columbus and across the country, Leciejewski said she will continue to stay true to her mission and what her shop is all about.

“We are all about putting smiles on people’s faces,” Leciejewski said. “We love to see people smiling and helping them navigate something new.”