This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

Ringle material written by Tutor Angela Kim

Boba : Blending Drinks and Cultures

[source: http://theboola.com/a-comprehensive-non-scientific-ranking-of-boba-tea-at-yale/]

0 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

[Summary in English]

I. Origins Within the past decade, boba tea, also known as “,” has gained enormous popularity around the world. • Boba tea was created in in the 1980s. Although the exact origin story is unknown, most people believe it was developed by Lin Hsiu Hui who added some tapioca pudding to her drink at a in Taichung, Taiwan. It became immediately popular and many street vendors began to serve boba at night markets. • The word “boba” can refer to both the broad category of drinks with chunky toppings or the black tapioca pearls themselves. • Boba pearls are made from tapioca that comes from the cassava root. The cassava plant is native to South America but came to Taiwan from Brazil during Japanese rule between 1895 to 1945. While “bubble tea” refers to the milk froth from shaking the cup, “boba” refers to the Taiwanese tapioca pearls. Often, the drink is called “bubble tea” on the East Coast while it is called “boba” on the West Coast more often. • In its most basic form, the drink includes , milk, ice, and tapioca pearls. It is shaken and served with a fat straw. • Many people describe the chewy texture like gumdrops. Sometimes toppings include aloe, fruit jelly, herbal , egg custard, puddings, or popping boba. There are many different flavors of and toppings for endless combinations. • Boba has achieved cultural significance in Asia and in North America, especially for East Asian diaspora populations. The popularity and influence of boba is definitely something to [1] chew on.

II. Customization

Many people enjoy personalizing their drinks. • The most basic black with pearls has evolved to many different variations of drinks. These days, toppings, sugar, and ice levels are customizable. • People can order whole, skim, or non-dairy milk including almond, coconut, and even oat milk. Sometimes the drink does not even include milk, especially with fruit drinks. • The pearls themselves can range from pea to marble size and can even be square, red, or clear.

1 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

• Taro milk tea is very popular. Some use the real root vegetable puree in drinks while other shops only use purple powder. • Fruit-based boba has gained popularity as well. Popular flavors include mango, lychee, winter melon, lemon, and passionfruit, and grapefruit. • Experts cite the success of bubble tea shops around the world to its assembly line production. A customer enters the store and orders with the barista with clear options of sugar and ice levels. The barista prints a label and sticks it on a plastic cup and another barista prepares the drink.

III. Stores

There are many bubble tea shops from major franchises to specialty cafes. Some shops use powders while others use premium loose-leaf teas.

• There are many Taiwanese chains that include Chatime, Coco, Quickly, ShareTea, and CuoppoTea. There are more than 21,000 boba shops in Taiwan alone. US brands include Kung Fu, Vivi, and Boba Guys. There are many craft boba shops in major US cities as well. • Gong Cha is one of the world’s most popular boba franchises. “Gong cha” in Chinese means to offer the most premium tea to the Emperor and represents high quality and expectation. The company was founded in Taiwan in 2006 and is currently in 20 countries with over 1500 stores worldwide. • ShareTea was founded in 1992 in Taipei, Taiwan. The brand has a mission to share the world and share happiness. It sees boba has a healthy trend and aims to introduce authentic Taiwanese tea to the world. CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice was founded in 1997. It aims to serve creative drinks including fresh tea, milk tea, fruit tea, yogurt drinks, , and other beverages. • KungFu Tea was founded in Flushing, Queens in 2009. The founders were disappointed that the quality of boba tea did not match the standards in Taiwan. Kung Fu Tea is a popular franchise in the US and they have locations across the country, from East Coast to West Coast and Mid-West. • Boba Guys was founded by Bin Chen and Andrew Chau with the mission to bridge cultures through boba tea. They say that milk tea is European while tapioca is Asian. Boba Guys is known for using high quality ingredients including premium tea, house made syrup, and organic milk. One of their goals is to make boba more accessible and

2 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

relevant to a 60-year old from Georgia or tourist from Ukraine. They want to change the perception that people have of boba. • Boba Guys’ logo is actually an aardvark drinking boba. The brand and aesthetic lend itself much more to people who would frequent a third-wave coffee shop, like Blue Bottle, rather than a bustling Chinatown teahouse. • There are many indie boba tea shops like Tea&Milk in New York City and Asha Tea House in San Francisco. These are lesser known on a global scale but might be affectionately known as boba sommeliers to their loyal fanbases. Tea Bar in Portland, Oregon has Scandinavian design influences. • Although many Koreans still prefer coffee, bubble tea has also gained popularity in Korea. The global chain Gong Cha is popular along with many other shops as well. • Amasvin is a café franchise in South Korea with unique flavors of tea and experimental drinks. They have flavors including strawberry coconut, tiramisu, and roasted sweet potato bubble tea. Amasvin also serves baked goods and other drinks. • Cofioca is a bubble tea shop in Seoul known for attracting K-pop stars. There are many celebrity signatures on the walls and lists with K-pop idols’ favorite drinks. • The Alley is a premium bubble tea café originally from Hong Kong. They specialize in teas and also serve brown sugar pearl lattes called “Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk.” The Alley focuses on craft drinks with the finest presentation.

IV. Trends

From cheese foam to brown sugar boba, there are many trends in boba that arise and even compel people around the world to wait for more than two hours to order a drink.

• Many chase boba trends because they find them aesthetically-pleasing and “Insta- worthy.” Often, boba drinks are colorful and the toppings make for perfect content for people’s social media feeds. Social media is also one of the primary ways that boba trends begin and become popular. • Brown sugar pearl milk latte is the latest trend in boba. It is a simple drink that only includes fresh milk, brown sugar syrup, and tapioca pearls. It originated from Tiger Sugar in Taichung, Taiwan in 2017. The flavors were meant to evoke [2] nostalgia for traditional Taiwanese desserts. The brown sugar syrup creates streaks that look like tiger stripes on the inside of the cup. Partially due to the popularity of Instagram and social media, the lines at Tiger Sugar are sometimes three hours long. The brown sugar caramel

3 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

syrup has a nutty taste that people can’t seem to get enough of. Tiger Sugar opened its first branch in Hongdae in March 2019. • Cheese tea, also known as “milk cap,” “cheese foam,” or “milk foam” is another craze in bubble tea that is more popular in Asia than the US. Cheese tea is a foamy layer of milk, cream cheese, and salt. It has a sweet and savory flavor. Cheese tea originated in night market stands in Taiwan around 2010 and began to become commercialized when HeyTea created a premium version using real cream cheese in the Guangdong province in China. • Banana milk is a popular South Korean drink manufactured by Binggrae. It has a banana, coconut and milk flavor. Recently, BuzzFeed collaborated with Boba Guys to create a Korean banana milk boba drink. They recreated the drink using real ingredients. Using influencer marketing, it created a buzz around Boba Guy’s shops in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. There was even a spike in Google searches for “Korean banana milk.” Over 1,000 banana milk boba drinks were sold in just four weekdays. • There are many more bubble tea trends. There are some shops that serve boozy boba, or boba with alcohol in it. Some shops serve boba in cups that look like light bulbs and others with cotton candy. Some shops even try to differentiate themselves by creating freshly made in-house boba.

V. Market

As boba continues to grow in popularity, there is an expanding market for the drink. • The bubble tea market was valued at $1967 million in 2016 and is expected to reach $3214 million by 2023. The global bubble tea market is only a fraction of the coffee industry. In comparison, the coffee market in the US alone is valued around $45billion. • Experts segment the global bubble tea market into flavor, creamer, sweetener, liquid, tapioca pearls, and others. The liquid dominates the bubble tea market. The three primary teas are black, green, and tea. • The North American bubble tea market actually accounted for more than 57% of the global market in 2016. The US alone comprised 97% of the North American market. • In 2016, North America and Asia-Pacific accounted for more than 83% of the global bubble tea market in terms of value. Take into consideration that many markets where bubble tea is growing rapidly, like Thailand and Vietnam, have lower prices for their drinks. The European market is actually expected to grow considerably.

4 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

• In the US, the average bubble tea drink costs around $4-6. In Korea, the average bubble tea drink costs $2-5. • Most bubble tea only costs $0.75 to make, so there is often a 300% markup.

VI. Popularity

Boba is popular, but will it ever achieve the same significance as coffee? • Traditionally in Taiwan, the teahouse culture was integral to social life but was dominated by grandmas, uncles, and aunties. As boba tea exploded on a global scale, this teahouse culture has pervaded the Asian-American youth culture. • Boba definitely seems like the [3] underdog compared to coffee. • Coffee is a cornerstone of American life and culture. But, boba aficionados say that bubble tea offers more diversity and a alternative to coffee. There is still a huge uphill climb for any bubble tea chain to reach the same scale as Starbucks. Many are optimistic since boba continues to defy expectations and increase in popularity. • In August 2017, the New York Times published a controversial article about boba first titled “The Blobs in Your Tea? They’re Supposed to Be There.” The title was then changed to “Bubble Tea, Long a Niche Favorite, Goes Mainstream in the U.S.” Later, the title was changed again to “Bubble Tea Purveyors Continue to Grow Along With Drink's Popularity.” In the article, the food editor Joanne Kaufman used words like “alien ingredients,” “complicated,” and “exotic.” Many critics noted that this was a very oblivious perspective that overlooked the fact that boba has been common to New York’s Chinatowns since the early 2000s and serve in Los Angeles since the 1990s. • But, is boba tea really [4] niche? In New York alone, there are hundreds of bubble tea shops. Chains like Vivi, Gong Cha, and Coco have opened branches across the US from Missouri to Connecticut. • When Hillary Clinton tried boba milk tea on the campaign trail in 2016, she said “I never had chewy tea before. I love it.” • There is a small debate about the health benefits of boba. Some people say it is healthier than coffee because it provides a more natural caffeine boost and the tea has antioxidants. Others argue that the drink actually has high-calorie and high-fat content. A 16-ounce drink may contain as many as 440 calories, with 200 calories from fat. Boba tea and its

5 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

toppings sometimes contain up to 350% of the maximum recommended daily intake of sugar. • While some say boba is a passing trend, others are confident that boba is here to stay. Who knows what’s in store for this chewy drink?

Discuss Boba Tea with your Ringle tutor and receive feedback on your English usage.

6 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

[Video clip]

Please watch these video clips.

• Video #1

[Source: BuzzFeedVideo]

I Invented A New Bubble Tea Flavor

https://youtu.be/08Ga66m68Vk

7 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

[Article]

Please read the article

l Article #1

[Source: http://imbibemagazine.com/boba-tea/]

THE CULTURE-BENDING APPEAL OF BOBA TEA

http://imbibemagazine.com/boba-tea/

8 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

l Article #2

[Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/16/business/smallbusiness/bubble-tea.html]

Bubble Tea Purveyors Continue to Grow Along With Drink’s Popularity

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/16/business/smallbusiness/bubble-tea.html

9 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

[10 Key Questions]

1. Why did you choose this topic for today’s class discussion?

2. Do you like boba? If so, what is your favorite boba drink? Explain your preference. What are some of your favorite brands?

[Source: https://danielfooddiary.com/2019/05/10/bubbletea/]

3. What are the key success factors of a boba franchise? How do you think chains like Gong Cha, Coco, and ShareTea different from shops like Boba Guys?

10 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

4. Why is boba successful in Korea and the US? In the long run, which country will have a dominant boba market?

[Source: https://www.bubbleteaology.com/bubble-tea-market-to-reach-3-2-billion/]

5. Do you think trends like brown sugar boba and cheese tea will last? What do you think about some of the trends in boba including banana milk boba, boozy boba, cotton candy boba, or lightbulb boba?

[Source: https://eatbook.sg/cheese-brulee-milk/]

11 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

6. How much are you willing to spend on boba? Do you spend more on boba or coffee? Will boba ever reach the same popularity as coffee? Why?

[Source: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/8xd9ax/starbucks-goes-after-boba-shop-says-it-cant-serve-drinks-to-go]

7. Do you think boba will gain the same popularity in Asia and North America in the European market? Latin American?

12 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

8. Do you think boba is a niche market or mainstream?

[Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-bubble-tea-market-2019-105300024.html]

9. Is boba healthy? Do you consider it a health drink with antioxidants or a dessert drink?

10. Imagine you are an investor and could invest in one boba shop. Which one would you invest in? Would you invest in a boba shop at all, or would you prefer to invest in coffee or another industry? Why?

13 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

[Key topic related terms and expressions]

[1] chew on: 곰곰이 생각하다

l [영영사전] (idiom) think about something

l [Ringle 에서 드리는 팁] This phrase literally means bite and grind something with the teeth, but it also means to contemplate or to think about something.

l [예문] She was chewing on the job offer for days but still hasn’t made a decision. 그녀는

며칠 동안 그 일자리 제의에 대해 곰곰이 고민하고 있지만 아직 결정을 내리지

못했다.

l [예문] John had to chew on the new CEO’s vision for the company because it was

drastically different than the current vision. 존은 회사를 위한 CEO 의 새로운 비전이

현재의 비전과 너무 다르기 때문에 곰곰이 생각해야 했다.

[2] nostalgia: 향수

l [영영사전] a sentimental longing for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations

l [Ringle 에서 드리는 팁] Nostalgia is usually associated with a longing for the past, especially the “good old days” or “warm childhood.”

l [예문] She was overcome with nostalgic when visiting her hometown. 그녀는 고향을

방문했을 때 향수에 젖었습니다.

l [예문] When she visited her elementary school, she became nostalgic for the past. 그녀는

자신의 초등학교를 방문하자 과거에 대한 향수에 젖었습니다.

[3] underdog: 약체; 약자

14 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다. This material is exclusively prepared for Ringle Customers

l [영영사전] a competitor thought to have little chance of winning a fight or contest

l [Ringle 에서 드리는 팁] The underdog is usually the weaker player, but it is compelling when an underdog wins and emerges victorious despite challenges and obstacles.

l [예문] Even though he was the underdog, he still won the competition. 그는

약자였음에도 불구하고 대회에서 우승을 했습니다.

l [예문] Janet’s company is an underdog in the SaaS industry, but it competes with the

major players. 자넷의 회사는 SaaS 산업에서 약자이지만, 주요 업체들과 경쟁합니다.

[4] niche: 틈새(시장)

l [영영사전] denoting or relating to products, services, or interests that appeal to a small, specialized section of the population

l [Ringle 에서 드리는 팁] Niche as an adjective means having specialized appeal. It is often used to describe certain markets that are specialized.

l [예문] No one really understood what her work involved since it is so niche. 그녀의

작품은 너무 독특해서 아무도 제대로 이해하지 못했다.

l [예문] Matthew works in a niche part of the shipping and logistics industry dealing with

government and trade. 매튜는 정부와 무역을 다루는 해운 및 물류 산업의

틈새분야에서 일하고 있습니다.

15 본 자료는 저작권 법에 의해 보호되는 저작물로, Ringle 사에 저작권이 존재합니다. 해당 자료에 대한 무단 복제/배포를 금하며, 해당 자료로 수익을 얻거나 이에 상응하는 혜택을 누릴 시 Ringle 과 사전 협의가 없는 경우 고소/고발 조치 될 수 있습니다.