Social media has latched its greedy hands into many things, creating trends that craze the world for a while before moving on to the next thing. The users of apps like TikTok or Instagram crave the new and inventive. But trends rarely last long. Many trends, from dances to fashion to vocabulary, die within days or a handful of months after their brief stint of fame. However, there is one that began growing in popularity and has not stopped since: Boba. Boba, or Bubble tea as nicknamed by the media, is a drink that originated in Taiwan. Its popularity comes from the tapioca balls, warm and chewy, that sink to the bottom of creamy milk tea. The plastic cup is then sealed tightly with a plastic film, through which then the customer stabs a hole with a large straw that has one end sharpened. It’s perhaps that satisfaction that comes from the stabbing, or the mixture of chewy balls with tea that made it become as great a sensation as it currently is.
Milk tea started in Taiwan in the late 80s. While the specific origins are still debated, it gained popularity among street vendors rapidly. In hopes of cornering the market, many turned to experimenting with fruits, syrups, and other types of jellies similar to the tapioca balls. Soon enough, the Taiwanese-American communities in the United States began to make their own versions, as any immigrant does with the food from their home country. Stores appeared here and there, especially in California, and San Gabriel Valley quickly rose as the home of boba shops. The Asian-American communities quickly accepted and adopted the drink, and in no time there were shops on every corner. They rapidly became a staple of the community, and a common hangout space for teens and adults alike. One of whom went on to improve it even more. Her name is Stacey Kwong.
Given the amount of boba shops around her, it wasn’t uncommon for Kwong “to work at boba shops, hang out at boba shops, go on first dates at boba shops,” and so on. Boba shops were an important part of her life, in terms of socialization and connecting with the culture, and yet there was one small problem: tapioca balls aren’t the only topping that you can put in the drink. There are other things, such as Kwong’s favorites egg pudding and lychee jelly. In most shops, however, they always cost extra. “It was always 50 to 75 cents for every single topping and I was like, you know what? One day I’m going to open my own shop.”
And so, Milk+T was born. In December 2015, Kwong and her business partner Beyah Del Mondo opened the first-ever self-serving boba truck with unlimited toppings. No more paying extra for toppings. In their small, refitted food truck, the two would take on the streets of Los Angeles and amass lines of customers that went around the block. Upkeeping a food truck is a lot of work, though. “The truck was very hands on for [Beyah] and I. We would prep the truck, clean the truck, drive the truck, gas up the truck– everything from A to Z, it was us.” Trucks break down easily, sometimes simply not turning on. The issue is that the tapioca balls, the boba itself, is prepared beforehand. They are made with brown sugar, tapioca flour, water, and two long hours of effort and patience. Being a self-serving boba truck with unlimited toppings meant that they didn’t just prepare boba, but they prepared a lot, which in turn meant that if they couldn’t sell it due to a broken truck, they had to throw it away.
“The first couple of times that happened, we tried taking the boba home and eating it ourselves, but obviously that’s not healthy.”
After enough batches of boba were thrown away, an opportunity for a brick and mortar of their own presented itself. They sold the truck grateful for its use but also happy to not have to deal with it anymore and opened their shop in Los Angeles. Nowadays, Milk+T has three stores with 12-hour opening days. The first original one in Los Angeles, one in Chicago, and one in Beaverton. The hunt for a brick and mortar in Oregon had been Portland, as the city offered the ambience Kwong and Del Mondo were looking for when deciding the new location. However, they were offered a better opportunity in Beaverton, a thirty-odd minute drive from Portland, than they could’ve found in downtown Portland. Yet, despite the change to brick and mortar, and the expansion beyond L.A., the shop maintains its original small-business charm from the truck days.
Milk+T offers a variety of options. Some of their drinks remain close to the original Taiwanese drink –Assam black tea or Jasmine green tea, with powdered creamer, and tapioca balls– while others put a bit of a creative spin to the beloved drink. The most notorious is their Sip N’ Dip menu.
From a first glance, this section of the menu looks bizarre. Among the traditional boba drinks, Milk+T offers boba with ice cream on top. My first encounter with the shop was one of these bizarre combinations, the Double Shot, which is cold brew with condensed milk and coffee ice cream. While this specific bizarre combination doesn’t actually have tea, the other Sip N’ Dips do. While talking with Kwong, I had to ask about it. Never had I seen another boba shop put ice cream on their drinks, so initially I thought it must’ve been simply an Americanized version of the drink. Kwong explained that while not a traditional addition to the drink, it wasn’t the product of Americanization. Boba, despite being as popular as it is, is not as Americanized as it could be. “I would say if you’re in Portland, Beaverton, or even San Gabriel, they stick to traditional aspects pretty well.” Kwong explained, “However, if you go to, like, Ohio or Kentucky, they might put a more American spin on the traditional aspect of boba.”
The truth behind their Sip N’ Dip menu was, as Kwong put it, a happy coincidence. Along with the boba, the Milk+T truck also sold ice cream as a separate item.
“One day a customer saw the two items on our menu, and they were like ‘Well, can I put ice cream in the drink?’ and we were like, oh, yeah, sure, why not. So we started putting it inside, sold that for a little bit, customers started to like it. And then one day, someone orders a drink with ice cream. And bam, my business partner forgets to put the ice cream inside. The customer comes back to us and they’re like ‘Hey, there was supposed to be ice cream in here.’ And we’re like ‘Oh, I’m so sorry about that, we’ll remake the drink’ but we didn’t have time to remake the drink. There’s a line down the sidewalk. And she’s like ‘Let’s just put the scoop on top’ […]. We handed it to the customer, and they were like, mind blown. They started Instagramming it and Snapchatting it, showing all their friends, and we’re like ‘I think we just created something new’.”
Yet the inventions didn’t end there. In early March 2020, when COVID-19 hit the United States, many shops had to temporarily close, and many others never had the chance to reopen. After trial and error, Milk+T found a way for at-the-door orders. Since their food truck days, all of their drinks came in free glass cups that would receive a 10% discount if brought back in an effort to fight the waste of plastic. However, while they still sell the drinks in the glass cups, they won’t accept them back just yet in order to keep their employees safe. The self-serve aspect of the shop wasn’t an option anymore, either, and the quick decrease of customers due to the pandemic was also affecting their business. It soon turned from “how to make our store special” to “how to keep it alive”. And so they invented yet another trend, the boba kit.
The boba kit is a DIY kit for people to make boba at home. Many shops followed suit, creating their own kits, creating new revenue. Soon after due to popular demand, Milk+T began offering online classes taught by Kwong, Del Mondo, or another trained employee to accompany the kit. The classes were originally just a small thing, such as being hired for birthday parties, but soon escalated and they began teaching companies such as Google, Apple, YouTube, among many others. Other shops soon followed as well. Kwong and Del Mondo then co-authored a recipe book titled Boba (2020), that offers 50 easy-to-follow recipes for teas and toppings.
Milk+T had mastered the wave that the pandemic sent their way, adapting to it with innovation and hope. So the world seemed to throw another obstacle their way. In 2021, there was a country-wide boba shortage. For a few months, it was mostly speculative and mass-panic. Those who loved boba kept a close eye and spread the rumors to help their also-boba-loving friends. Even a year later, it was still hard to find any reliable information on the shortage. Every bit of information had been tainted by the media’s overblowing of the matter. When I asked, somewhat hesitant as I still didn’t know if it had been just a rumor or a real threat, Kwong explained that it had been a problem for many.
“The benefit of having a store in L.A. and one in Portland,” she said, “was that L.A. could kind of foresee things that were going to happen to Portland.” When L.A. was hit with the boba shortage, Kwong knew it was going to hit Portland no matter what. She immediately called her supplier and ordered 20 cases of boba. Her supplier had been confused, but delivered it anyways. Two weeks later, he called back asking to buy some of the cases back as their stock had run out. Milk+T’s unlimited toppings policy, the reason behind the shop existing in the first place, suffered once more. With the pandemic, their self-serving had to be turned into asking for how many scoops did the customer want, but with the shortage, they had to temporarily limit their unlimited toppings. Many shops like Milk+T had to outsource from manufacturers they didn’t usually source from, but in the end Kwong’s clever reaction allowed them to pass the shortage a bit more smoothly.
Milk+T has been a source of innovation since the very beginning. Asian foods, just like boba, have been quickly gaining popularity in the West Coast. Portland and the neighboring areas such as Beaverton have seen a rapid uptake of immigrant cuisine but especially Asian. For example, Kwong remarked about a well-known Japanese restaurant, Afuri, that opened its first ever U.S. location in Portland and then a second one in Beaverton. Korean restaurants have also been opening, as well as Indian places. Milk+T is only one of many shops that sells boba but their innovation has not only kept them afloat during stressful and uncertain times but helped them rise into what it is today. Social media trends don’t tend to last long, but boba has proven that it’s here to stay as the Asian-American communities grow, and with it will come a new age of innovation.
We would like to thank Stacey Kwong and the rest of Milk+T for meeting with us and making this story possible.
Hi there outstanding website! Does running a blog like this take a massive amount work?
I have virtually no understanding of programming however I was hoping to start my own blog soon. Anyway, if you have
any recommendations or tips for new blog owners please share.
I understand this is off subject however I just needed to ask.
Thanks a lot!
Here is my homepage :: what happens to time
When I originally left a comment I appear to have clicked the
-Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I receive
4 emails with the exact same comment. There has
to be a means you can remove me from that service?
Cheers!
Also visit my homepage – sumerian gods
I’m really loving the theme/design of your site.
Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility problems?
A number of my blog readers have complained about my site
not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Firefox.
Do you have any recommendations to help fix this problem?
Also visit my site … lost continent of mu
Does your website have a contact page? I’m having trouble locating it
but, I’d like to send you an e-mail. I’ve got
some suggestions for your blog you might be interested in hearing.
Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing
it develop over time.
My blog – ai prompt manager chrome
Really engaging article! It’s impressive how online gaming platforms blend education, psychology, and entertainment. For example, Winbox offers practical examples of user learning through strategic decision-making.
I completely agree that educational institutions should integrate technology more deeply. Observing how people interact with platforms like Winbox can teach students valuable lessons about digital communication and critical analysis.
To add to this, Winstrol’s popularity for inflicting typically very severe
joint pain is not a identified problem with Primobolan. Winstrol is amongst a number
of revered and widely used, primarily slicing or contesting prep steroids.
All one of the best chopping PEDs have their professionals and cons, and every provides you with a novel outcome.
So it’s properly price comparing Winstrol to 2 of the most effective slicing steroids, DHT derivatives – Anavar and Masteron. A most dosage of 100mg/day is commonly
considered by advanced users of Winstrol, notably for an upcoming competitors.
In this case, a sophisticated Winstrol cycle might involve using 50mg/day for 4 weeks, increasing to 100mg/day for the final two weeks of this 6 to 8-week
cycle. When we measure Winstrol’s outcomes, it’s not often within the amount of muscle gained or
fats lost.
Cypionate and enanthate injections can be much less irritating to
the skin than other testosterone variations, based mostly on our experience.
The Winstrol drugs for sale at PharmaHub are 100 percent pure,
authentic, unadulterated, and pharma grade. Internationally renowned pharmaceutical manufacturing corporations provide all our winstrol merchandise.
These laboratories have years of experience and adhere to the very best
requirements of high quality. With Winstrol, you can anticipate to
have a trim, ripped, and even shredded physique.
It is answerable for promoting muscle development,
rising bone density, and regulating intercourse drive. However, when individuals take
anabolic steroids like Winstrol, it may possibly have a direct impression on the physique’s pure
testosterone production. HGH-X2 is a legal and safe different to Somatropin, a human progress hormone (HGH) type.
HGH is well known for its capability to advertise lean muscle
acquire and fat burning, however utilizing real synthetic
HGH places your health at vital risk if it’s not undertaken precisely and thoroughly.
HGH-X2 naturally stimulates the discharge of HGH as an alternative of immediately injecting
artificial HGH into the body. The indicators that HGH sends to the muscular tissues instruct them to develop,
but we will solely see the true potential for muscle gains when stacking HGH with anabolic steroids.
With HGH selling cell proliferation, nitrogen retention, and protein synthesis, it’s
the right partner to AAS in selling the substantial development of lean muscle[2].
Nonetheless, Deca Durabolin is notorious for inflicting sexual unwanted aspect effects,
specifically erectile dysfunction, in our male sufferers.
We have discovered selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) to be efficacious in lowering incidents
of gynecomastia on Anadrol. SERMs could be extra advantageous than aromatase inhibitors (AIs) for treating high estrogen, with AIs exacerbating cardiovascular health.
D-Bal is our recommended Dianabol alternative as a result of its capacity
to imitate the anabolic properties of methandrostenolone without any cardiotoxicity or hepatotoxicity.
To this end, you may be certain that each one your orders might be discreetly delivered at
all times.
While males will typically use winny for chopping,
women have the luxurious of with the power to use it for both.
Which is why women can use Winstrol and enjoy impressive outcomes from doing so.
You can see why so many women seem so obsessive about finding an answer to all of their weight-related issues.
There’s a cause why the overwhelming majority of slimming drugs and food
regimen plans out there are geared toward girls.
This cycle can be fairly effective for the promotion of extra lean mass, and is also
run as a bulking cycle. Once once more, the reason for this is due to
Testosterone’s use at a TRT dose, thereby minimizing or eliminating any Estrogen because of aromatization. Trenbolone itself is an unimaginable compound to be stacked with Winstrol, because it doesn’t convert into Estrogen and displays no Estrogenic results.
Water retention and bloating as a result
ought to be fully nonexistent on this cycle. The use of Trenbolone additionally presents
a really potent compound on this cycle, and normally such a cycle ought to
present unimaginable strength features, and lean mass addition. The Stanozolol hormone can be one of the few anabolic androgenic
steroids women can use safely; whereas it isn’t absolutely the mildest in nature for a lady it’s up excessive on the record.
Issues relating to the steroids hepatic nature in addition to its results on lipid
profiles remain the same with girls but the feminine athlete should also necessarily be aware of virilization.
A user’s physique core temperature rises for a number of weeks,
rising their basal metabolic fee and calorie
expenditure. Because Primobolan is a milder compound, it won’t replicate the outcomes of Winstrol or trenbolone.
However, trenbolone does not induce aromatization, causing significant elevations in blood stress,
that are attributed to huge reductions in HDL.
Anadrol causes important fluctuations in blood strain and liver enzymes.
DHT is also an endogenous androgen sex steroid produced naturally in the body
through the conversion of testosterone. Winstrol impacts
the body’s pure hormone function and, consequently, can affect your mood.
This is an space to pay shut consideration to when using Winstrol so you can adjust your dosage
accordingly. Comparatively innocent, short-term however annoying unwanted effects like
joint ache can influence some Winstrol users to a significant level,
which can attain a degree the place enterprise regular exercises becomes too troublesome.
Optimistic experiences will come from those who reap the profit of the hard, dry, very
toned physique that can be obtained rapidly with this steroid.
References:
pedselite
I really liked your point about how technology supports personalized learning. It shows how powerful digital innovation is, something we also see in entertainment platforms such as Hengongbet (https://www.hengongbetofficial.com).
Heya i am for the first time here. I found this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot.
I hope to give something back and help others like you aided me.
Feel free to visit my blog – google reviews website
Looking forward to reading more. Great article post.Really thank you! Much obliged. 69.vn
Article writing is also a fun, if you know after that you can write or else it
is complex to write.
Here is my site :: click here [in.pinterest.com]
I think the admin of this website is genuinely working hard for his website, since
here every information is quality based data.
Here is my web page; Jonitogel
We’re a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community.
Your web site provided us with valuable info to work on.
You’ve done a formidable job and our entire community will be grateful to you.
Here is my web site click here (http://www.reddit.com)
Really engaging article! It’s impressive how online gaming platforms blend education, psychology, and entertainment. For example, Winbox offers practical examples of user learning through strategic decision-making.
This is an excellent point about digital transformation in education. Even entertainment-based platforms like Winbox can be studied to understand how design and data influence user learning behavior.
Really informative blog article.Much thanks again. Really Great. https://fm88.win/
This is an excellent point about digital transformation in education. Even entertainment-based platforms like Winbox can be studied to understand how design and data influence user learning behavior.
Thank you ever so for you blog post.Really thank you! Want more. https://vaobet.net/
Say, you got a nice blog article.Much thanks again. Awesome. sunwin
Say, you got a nice blog article.Much thanks again. Awesome. sunwin
GB WhatsApp APK is an enhanced version of WhatsApp that gives you more customization and privacy controls. It supports theme changes, bigger media sharing, message scheduling, and dual account usage. You can also hide your online status and ticks. GB WhatsApp APK is perfect for users who want more advanced features than the official messaging app.
Fútbol Libre TV es una plataforma gratuita para ver fútbol en vivo, ligas internacionales y canales deportivos en alta calidad. Ofrece múltiples enlaces, una interfaz sencilla y transmisiones rápidas. Puedes disfrutar tus partidos favoritos sin suscripciones. Fútbol Libre TV
es ideal para seguir el mejor fútbol desde el móvil o la computadora.
After I initially commented I clicked the -Notify me when new feedback are added- checkbox and now every time a remark is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any manner you may remove me from that service? Thanks! 8xbet
Asking questions are actually good thing if you are not understanding anything totally, except this article offers nice understanding yet.
my site: scootmobielen
Thank you for your article.Thanks Again. Great. 8xbet
This is really fascinating, You’re a very skilled
blogger. I have joined your rss feed and sit up for searching for extra of your fantastic post.
Additionally, I have shared your website in my social networks
my web-site – dewapoker
Hi! I know this is kinda off topic however I’d figured I’d
ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest writing a blog article or vice-versa?
My website discusses a lot of the same subjects as yours and I
believe we could greatly benefit from each other.
If you’re interested feel free to shoot me an email.
I look forward to hearing from you! Fantastic blog by
the way!
My page :: goltogel
Yesterday, while I was at work, my cousin stole my iPad and tested to see if it can survive a 30 foot drop, just
so she can be a youtube sensation. My apple ipad is now destroyed and she has
83 views. I know this is entirely off topic but I had to share it with someone!
Have a look at my webpage Shop Adderall Online
I all the time used to read piece of writing in news papers but now as I am a user of
internet thus from now I am using net for posts, thanks to web.
my blog post top 10 ragnarok private server 2026
MovieBox APK offers free access to movies, TV shows, and trending content in HD quality. The app includes fast streaming, offline downloads, and multiple server options for reliable playback. With its simple navigation and large content library, MovieBox APK is a great entertainment choice for Android users.
NetMirror enables high-speed screen mirroring from Android to TV, PC, or tablet. With low latency and stable Wi-Fi connectivity, it’s great for streaming videos, gaming, and presentations. Its minimal interface and smooth performance make NetMirror a reliable mirroring solution for all users.
Top Follow helps users grow their Instagram account through fast follower and engagement tools. Using a secure credit-based system, it boosts likes, followers, and visibility. The app is easy to use, making it ideal for social media users who want steady and effective growth.
AetherSX2 delivers powerful PS2 emulation on Android, offering smooth gameplay, HD rendering, and customizable controls. Known for its stability and accuracy, the emulator supports BIOS loading and gamepad support. It’s perfect for players who want a true console-like PS2 gaming experience on mobile.
bookmarked!!, I really like your site!
My web-site: online casinos in canada
I like this idea very much—such a nice way to describe it and very entertaining to read. Humanities Assignment Help supports students with well-researched, clearly written solutions across history, philosophy, sociology, and literature, helping learners understand concepts deeply while meeting academic standards and improving overall academic performance.