Bubble Milk Tea: From a Cultural Commodity to a Political Beverage

Abstract

The academic article “Bubble Milk Tea: From a Cultural Commodity to a Political Beverage” studies the development of bubble milk tea. It starts with the trend of bubble milk tea in Taiwan around 1990. Later, bubble milk tea spread culturally and became popular in many regions around the world. However, at one point, the trend of consuming bubble milk tea declined due to concerns about product quality and the growing trend of health consciousness. Then, in 2017, bubble milk tea regained its popularity and became a cultural product of Taiwan, supported by the New Southbound Policy, which aimed to build relationships with other countries and promote tourism. Later on, bubble milk tea became a political symbol through the "Milk Tea Alliance," an online movement advocating for democracy.