BUBBLE TEA
When? 1999: Zagu Shakes opens is first stall in Manila. 2009: Bubble Tea, Tokyo Milk Tea Place opens in SM Megamall. Serenitea opens on J. Abad Santos street in San Juan.
How it started: A blender, flavored powder and tapioca balls (aka "pearls") were all there was to it when Zagu began. Bubble Tea is touted as the healthier alternative–it was actually real tea flavored with fruit juice for schoolkids in Taiwan in the '80s. The name has since referred to flavored tea, coffee or smoothie with the tapioca (or bubbles) on the bottom, just like Zagu.
At its peak: One endured the long lines at Zagu in the early years. It spawned imitators, brisk sales for flavored powders in Divisoria, and a health scare involving sago tainted with borax.
What's left of the craze: Greenwich Pizza has its own version. Zagu can still be found in the malls and now, Bubble Tea hopes the bubble won't burst just yet.
Photos by the SPOT.ph team, Lindy (Bread Talk), Denise Chan (Ice Monster), Allan Reyes (shawarma).
SPOT.ph would like to know: What's your favorite food craze?
