Pearl Milk Tea is a sweetly flavored tea beverage invented in Taiwan. Drink recipes may vary, but most bubble teas contain a tea base mixed with fruit (or fruit syrup) and/or milk. Ice blended versions of the drink are also available, usually in fruit flavors. Bubble teas may contain small tapioca balls (木薯粉圆) or pearls called "boba". Pearls made of jelly are also available in many places. These teas are shaken to mix the ingredients, creating a foam on the top of some varieties, hence the name.
珍珠奶茶主要由珍珠和奶茶两大部分组成。珍珠是台湾的特产,俗称“粉圆”。由地瓜(即蕃薯)粉、太白粉或木薯粉精制而成,咬时不粘牙又有韧性。珍珠有大小之分,一般使用较大颗粒的粉圆,烹煮后的直径约在7公厘以上,否则直径太小时很容易满嘴珍珠,也不方便吞咽咀嚼。另一因素是奶茶,奶茶由茶加奶精而成。茶有红茶和绿茶两种,一般来说,绿茶的功效比红茶好,喝绿茶会比喝红茶健康,因为绿茶是不发酵的,茶叶内富含叶绿素和维他命C,有防癌、养颜等功效,但不适合有胃病的人士饮用;而红茶则有醒神效用,因其有极少量的咖啡因,如果只想提神而不愿喝咖啡弄得兴奋过度的话,红茶就是最好的选择。所以珍珠奶茶的红茶、绿茶都是“萝卜、青菜各有所爱”罢了。
早期仅有珍珠奶茶一种称呼。约1988年时,台南市海安路一家叫「草蜢」的小贩,取当时女星叶子楣的灵感,将珍珠奶茶(Pearl Milk Tea)改称波霸奶茶(Bubble Tea)。以后在南台湾日渐产生波霸指大粉圆、珍珠指小粉圆的说法。随着南台湾连锁店至北部展店,此种分类亦因此渐被台湾居民接受。
在台湾以外,亦常见波霸"BOBA"或"Bubble"这名词。起因是1980年代末到北美洲的华裔新移民仍以"波霸奶茶"作号召,加州各地因此如雨后春笋般出现"BOBA Tea House"、"BOBA Planet"、"BOBA World"等等茶坊,现时非台裔居民依然满口"BOBA"或"Bubble"。他们会用英语向柜枱的服务生说:"Give me latte, and add some BOBA in, please."(给我一杯拿铁咖啡,加点"波霸"),"波霸"亦已成为粉圆的代名词。