In the US it’s exploded in popularity over the last decade or so due to Taiwanese immigrants. It started on the west coast and now you can get bubble tea in basically any major city. In Chicago (which is not necessarily the first city that comes to mind when you think “Asian immigrants”)where I am, there’s 3 bubble tea shops in my neighborhood alone, there’s bubble tea at train stations, you can get it delivered, it’s everywhere!
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You can get it in most of the bigger cities, but it isn’t super popular. It’s mostly cafés and special tea shops that serve them. I have never seen bubble tea in any stores IRL.
Yes this is the second time this fad is coming through. 2010-ish there were shops everywhere, then they kind of disappeared and now they’re coming again.
It was bit of a fad, but I think it has already faded again.
We have them in France, they seem to have their public but they are not really well known.
I love having one from time to time.
It was kinda popular among teenagers in middle 2010s, then faded. For sure not brought by Taiwanese immigrants but from entrepreneurs trying to ride the next trend
It’s in the big cities,and I’ve also spotted some at carnivals here in the Netherlands.
It had been a short trend ten years ago. Lasted exactly one summer, then the novelty went off and all the outlets closed as fast as they popped up. And I don’t think it’s going to fly this time either. There’s original Italian gelato parlors in every German village, and their pricing is insanely cheap.
Gelato beats Bubble Tea simply on every conceivable scale.
It bubbled up a few years ago and has now mostly fizzed out.
you can find it in bigger cities (i think i’v seen it), but definitely not a popular thing.
May be becouse we are a tea country and got gazzilion “real” teas to begin with as well as close to non Taiwanese people.
Additionally i don’t think people like cold tea (or coffee) that much. They are supposed to be hot
In Berlin it’s definitely going through a second trend cycle, it was popular some years ago, then most of them closed. Now again many new ones opened over the last few years, so you don’t have to travel far to find one! Personally, I like it, mainly fruity or matcha/taro with tapioca. Cream cheese seems to be popular addition recently and that’s a step too far out of my comfort zone 😀