What does a Pornstar have to do with Boba Tea?
- Jul 3
- 3 min read
Well, she was the inspiration behind your favorite drink!
Now there are two competing claims to the invention. One from Chun Shui Tang in Taichung, Taiwan, where a product development manager dropped tapioca balls into an iced Assam Black Tea during a staff meeting, held in 1988. The competitor however, hails from Tainan, Taiwan, who is the owner of Hanlin Tea room, claiming to have been inspired by local tapioca white balls in 1986. While the latter called it Pearl Tea, the former called it Boba.
Boba came from 波霸. Character Breakdown:波 (bō): Derived from the English word "ball" (or wave/bubble)霸 (bà): Meaning "supreme" or "big" (as in "overlord"). It is a nickname which translates to Lord of Breasts, which was given to the Hong Kong porn star Amy Yip (葉子楣).
In the late 80s, Hong Kong introduced a movie rating system to restrict children's access to violent and sexual content. It actually helped porn to move onto the big screen instead of staying in the DVD format. There was a huge boom in porn industry until the mid-90s. These are called sān jí piàn (三級片) or "third category movie". Celebrities and mass media played a major role in naming trends. So when the 90s star Amy Yip became popular, "Amy" became a household name across Asia.
The legend has it that bubble tea's tapioca pearls were awarded the name "boba" by a street hawker who was a huge fan of Amy Yip. He called his tea 波霸奶茶 = Boob Lord Milk Tea. It attracted a lot of attention, especially when you add the "milk" after boob lord.
With an increase in the Taiwanese immigrant population in North America, Bubble tea made its way across oceans. Since Boba is a Cantonese character, the Chinese immigrants would often find it embarrassing to call it Boba, so it retains the name "pearl" (zhēnzhū, 珍珠) instead. Hence, its called zhēnzhū nǎichá (珍珠奶茶), meaning pearl/bubble milk tea.
Although, Amy Yip retired in 1997, the beverage's popularity knows no ends. The bubble tea industry in 2026 is valued at around $3.03 billion, and is projected to grow to $5.62 billion by 2034, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.03% during the forecast period. In the US alone, the bubble tea market is projected to reach $875.56 million by 2032, supported by growing popularity among younger demographics. In 2024, the Asia Pacific market share was valued at $1.14 billion. Key players in the industry include Chaitime Group (China), Gong Cha (Taiwan), Coco Fresh Tea & Juice (Taiwan), Quickly (U.S), Xing Fu Tang (Taiwan), Lollicup (US), Tiger Sugar (China), Yummy Town (Cayman) Holdings Corporation (Taiwan) and K.O.I (Taiwan).
In 2024, a Boba controversy emerged on the Dragon's Den (Canadian Shark Tank platform). Founders Sebastien Fiset and Jessyka Frenette sought a $1 million investment for 18% of their company. They marketed their canned, ready-to-drink product as a superior, "disruptive" alternative to traditional boba, which they vaguely described as a drink with mysterious and unknown ingredients.
Shang-Chi actor Simu Liu, a guest dragon on the episode, strongly pushed back. He accused the founders of cultural appropriation, noting that it was problematic for non-Asian entrepreneurs to take a distinctly Asian product, market it as a "disruption," and strip away its cultural identity to profit off of it. Liu opted out, stating he could not ethically profit off of something so tied to his heritage. The founders initially accepted a $1 million deal from another dragon, Manjit Minhas.
Following immense online backlash, investor Manjit Minhas withdrew her $1 million investment offer, citing the need for reflection and acknowledging community feedback. Bobba’s founders issued a public apology via Instagram, stating they would re-evaluate their marketing and branding to better honor the beverage's Taiwanese roots. The controversy sparked broader community discourse, allowing authentic, Asian-owned boba brands like Twirl Milk Tea, which had previously been rejected by the US Shark Tank, to go viral and connect with new investors.
While yes, Asia-Pacific does hold rights to the authenticity of the beverage, I wonder upon having a drink named after her breasts, how much of the profits generated by this $3.03 billion industry was shared with Amy Yip? Afterall, what's in a name, if the person you were inspired from never saw a dime of the money you made off of her nickname?
