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Sorry boba fans in the US, but the near future of your favorite drink seems uncertain. The popular drink, with edible tapioca pearls, becomes the victim of delays in shipping the bubbles.
Here’s what happens to boba tea and what it means for the next trip to your local boba tea shop.
What is boba tea?
Boba tea, sometimes called bubble tea, is a beverage originally from Taiwan. The category may include sweet drinks with different ingredients, but on a basic level, boba tea mixes black or green tea, milk, ice cream and of course the sticky scoops of tapioca starch. Sometimes fruit syrup, coffee, spices or honey (or a combination thereof) are added to the mixture.
Boba tea’s popularity has increased over the years in Asia and around the world. One report from Fortune Business Insights’ 2020 market research puts the global boba tea market at just over $ 2 billion in 2019, and growth is expected to reach around $ 3.4 billion in 2027. Meanwhile, Yelp declared the boba tea the most popular delivery item early in the year. coronavirus pandemic in several U.S. states, including California, Hawaii and Michigan.
Why is there a shortage of boba tea?
Both the boba balls, which come from Taiwan, and the tapioca starch that made them, which come from Thailand, are caught, according to Marketwatch, in significant backlog in shipping on the east and west coasts of the USA. The delays affect goods outside the boba, including microprocessors and just about anything else shipped from Asia to the US, but they hit boba hard as it relies so heavily on ingredients from Asia.
The shipping backlog could be blamed on a mix of bad weather, pandemic-related logistics issues and increased general demand as consumer spending bounces back, according to MarketWatch and also Business Insider.
How long can the deficit last?
In an Instagram post, Boba Guys, a boba tea company with a flagship store in San Francisco, said it could take months before the boba tea supply gets back on track, and stores are already running out of stock.
“This is a shortage in the industry,” the company wrote. ‘Some boba shops are already out. Others will run out in the next few weeks. Ninety-nine percent of the baboons come from overseas. ‘
How did boba lovers react?
Boba tea lovers regret the coming difficult times in the Instagram post of Boba Guys.
“Tragic,” says one. Write another one: “The real apocalypse that begins.” A further statement on the right side of the supply chain: ‘So glad I’m in Singapore now. ‘
Boba Guys, in turn, encouraged patience and understanding, saying, “Do not get angry with boba shops because they no longer have boba.”