Let’s go back to the very beginning. It all began in the early 1980s when a Taichung tea shop Chun Shui Tang 春水堂人文茶館 ( the rival origin myth credits to a Tainan tea shop Hanlin Tea Room 翰林茶館) started to serve tapioca balls in milk tea. Known locally as “Q” or “QQ” for their bouncy and chewy consistency. Here is a detailed boba taxonomy, as well as some of our favorites to get your bubble tea fix.