If you’ve driven around the Valley lately, especially in areas where there is a bigger Asian population, you can’t miss the different boba tea shops.
More people are discovering boba tea, which is also called bubble tea, as more businesses pop up across the Valley.
The sound of plastic popping as a big straw goes through can be heard through Boba Tea House located in Chandler.
Boba Tea House, near Warner and Dobson roads, is one of the longest-run boba stores in the Valley. While its history dates back 20 years, its owner, Tung Pham, took over just two years ago.
Pham, who migrated from Vietnam more than a decade ago, tells ABC15 he’s glad he can share the popular drink with everyone in the Valley.
“A lot of people don’t know what boba is. That’s why I want to bring Vietnamese culture and Taiwanese culture here and spread out the boba to everyone,” he said.
Boba originates from Taiwan. It’s made from tapioca powder mixed with water, and flavors are often added, like honey or brown sugar. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to make a batch of boba, where it’s boiled to make it warm, soft and chewy.
More people are learning about the drink though, as more boba shops pop up. Pham believes it’s because more people are moving to Arizona from other states.
At the complex where Boba Tea House is located, there are other Asian dessert places that serve it.
Just across the street from Mochi Fresh, located near University and Hardy drives in Tempe, there’s another boba shop.
AB Wang, the owner of Mochi Fresh, opened up the store in 2019. He tells ABC15 he migrated from China when he was 19, working in different Japanese and Chinese restaurants before opening up his own boba tea store.
"I like [the] boba drink and I want to bring good boba for the boba lovers,” he said.
While there are many shops across the Valley, each puts its own flair into the signature drinks. At Mochi Fresh, Wang says his boba is homemade.
He gets tapioca powder shipped from Taiwan and makes the boba fresh.
For him, it reminds him of home. He says Asians typically like to eat a lot, and they like to have a special treat afterward, and that’s boba.
“Anytime I can have a boba, I’m in heaven like when I was a children,” he said.
With May being Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, these business owners are happy to share a bit of their culture with others as they continue their business, hoping to make people smile and be happy with their drinks.
