A new tea is bubbling up in Chinatown

In Chinatown, best known for its bustling open-air markets and crowded Asian restaurants, a new neighborhood specialty is quickly taking hold. Hidden away on Mott Street, Saint Alp's Teahouse was one of the first to serve the Chinese concoction that is delighting residents and visitors alike -- bubble tea. 

Although known by many names -- milk tea, boba, pearl tea and BBT, to name a few -- this sweet treat is unmistakable in both taste and appearance. Its recipe is simple: mix black or green tea base with fruit flavors like coconut and mango, add sweetened condensed milk or non-dairy creamer with a touch of ice and shake. But in the final step lies the drink's secret charm. When served, the mixture gets poured into a tall glass filled with tapioca pearls. 

Unlike the clear, tasteless tapioca often found in pudding, these dark, gummy balls provide the drink with a unique flavor and distinctive texture. "They're chewy, like a gummy bear," said Manhattan resident Rebecca Soboti.  The pearls are a product of starches extracted from sweet potato and cassava root, mixed with a touch of brown sugar. 

Bubble tea can be ordered without the tapioca pearls. In fact, it came to be called bubble tea in Hong Kong and Taiwan before they were added, because bubbles would float to the top when the liquid mixture was shaken. But the addition of tapioca pearls to the recipe, made in 1983 by Taiwanese teashop owner Liu Han-Chieh, gives the drink bubbles at both the top and bottom of the glass. And it caught on quickly. Today, in Taiwan and Hong Kong, bubble teashops can be found on almost every corner.

Saint Alp's on Mott St. was one of the first teahouses to bring bubble tea to Chinatown