In German: Consumer mag takes a hard look at Bubble tea

[Jackie]

If you can read German like @lahikmajoe, do go and read this article! Or use a translating service. Titled “Fat-makers from the Far East” Consumer magazine “test” reports on bubble tea, which is a hot new trend in Germany. They tested 4 teas by BoboQ and Boobuk  –  companies I’m not familiar with at all.  The gist of the article was:

Sugar and caffeine levels just like your soda (50-60mg)

A mass of artificial colorings (hues not related to any actual fruits)

No such thing as “100 natural” 

Tapicoca pearls tested were found to be slimy & soft (!) and posed a potential choking hazard. (The latter seems extraordinary.)

Anyway, interesting read. I’m not a bubble tea fan, and I haven’t even tried it. I just know that I don’t like very sweet, high calorie drinks. There’re around 500 calories in one of these, which makes it seem completely unrelated to the drink I call tea. 

[lahikmajoe]

I’ve read a lot about this lately, but like you say, I’m not a bubble tea fan. So, I’ve considered writing about the many pieces in the press here about how unhealthy this stuff is.

The city of Munich has even done some public service announcements warning citizens about the things you mentioned. High calories in general and a choking hazard (the Tapicoca pearls) in particular. 

Still not sure I want to write much more about it. It’s a tea blog, after all. And bubble tea really has little, if anything, to do with tea.

[Author]

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