Antoine Alce contributed to this article.
You walk out of a long day at Malden High School, dehydrated from gym class, or possibly needing a bomb of sweet flavor after loud chatter or overworking for 80 minutes in the Student Study Center. The line at Dunkin’ leads out the door and onto the sidewalk, and it feels like there are a thousand people inside of CVS, but a few students that have colorful drinks with bubble-like toppings catch your eye—it might be your time to try out some boba!
Since 1990, when boba, also known as bubble tea, was first created in Taiwan, its popularity has since spread worldwide. Malden has embraced this trend, having three main popular chains, including Kung Fu Tea, Gong Cha, and Tsaocaa. Kung Fu Tea and Tsaocaa are located across from each other near where Malden Center and MHS meet, while Gong Cha is across from Stop & Shop on Cross Street. These three boba stores have brought many residents in the Malden community, especially MHS students, to enjoy a fun refreshment.
There are dozens of different flavors and toppings among these three famous boba stores. Some stores offer options where the ingredients are all natural, and customers can choose the amount of sugar they want in their boba.
For example, Gong Cha offers simple drinks like Green Tea, Black Tea, and Oolong Tea, and Tsaocaa spices it up with drinks that include real fruit in them, like their Pineapple & Passionfruit Green Tea with Jelly. If you’re looking for a boost of sugar, Kung Fu Tea might be your go-to, with a menu that includes slushes and many chocolatey-themed drinks. Some of the toppings that can be found in these stores are jellies, pearls, popping boba (fruit-flavored bubbles that pop liquid in your mouth), aloe, and foam caps (a type of cold foam).
Most students who shared their opinions favored Gong Cha. “I like the strawberry puree,” sophomore Evin Vega expressed. Strawberry flavored boba tea seems to be a trend among students. Sophomore Salma Valencia Montoya added that she “likes the flavor and the atmosphere of the store.”
Even teachers from Malden High School enjoy a cold, refreshing bubble tea now and then. Health teacher Patrick Healey shared his thoughts on how boba has affected Malden High students. “There’s more isolation with cell phones and technology. Everyone’s busier with work and things. So anytime, people, and especially young people, can come together and sit and talk and socialize, whether it’s over boba tea or food or something, it’s going to be a good thing, and that benefits the community,” he said.
Even with students’ enjoyment of boba, there are a few drawbacks. For starters, the cost of bubble tea. The prices of certain flavors have not been liked by customers. “I don’t frequent them because I feel like it’s costly, if it was maybe more affordable, I probably would frequent it more often,” noted Healey.
Another drawback is the distance from MHS to the popular boba shops in Malden Center. Although Montoya complained about the distance of Gong Cha from MHS l, freshman Manahil Bibi shared that “they make it pretty quick and it tastes good,” which some could agree makes the walk worthwhile.
These bubble tea chains have shown to be an enjoyment for MHS students, giving them many flavor options that vary from sweet and delicious bubble tea flavors to healthy and natural bubble tea flavors.
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