Bubble tea, also known as Boba, originated in Taichung, Taiwan, in the late 1980s. The invention is often attributed to Lin Hsiu Hui of the Chun Shui Tang tea house. During a staff meeting, she poured her sweetened tapioca pudding into her iced Assam tea on a whim. The staff loved the combination, and it was soon added to the menu, where it became the shop's best-selling product. The 'bubbles' in the name originally referred to the foam created by shaking the tea, though it now commonly refers to the chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom. The pearls are made from cassava starch and are typically boiled in brown sugar syrup to give them their dark color and sweet flavor. Bubble tea has since become a global phenomenon, with endless variations including milk teas, fruit teas, and popping boba.