Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty
Starbucks is thelatest coffee chainto jump on the boba craze.
The coffee shop chain is currently testing out two drinks made with “coffee popping pearls” — small balls of Starbucks coffee that pop like the tapioca pearls found in the Taiwanese bubble tea beverages.
A representative for the company confirms to PEOPLE that the brand is “conducting a limited test with coffee pearls at two Starbucks stores for a limited time this winter.”
The “Coffee Popping Pearls” are being tested in a cold-brew based beverage sweetened with brown sugar — a drink they’ve dubbed “In the Dark” — and in an iced chai tea latte version.
Both grande sizes are selling for $5.25 and $5.45 respectively, according to the TikTok user.
As for the taste, the TikToker said that the pearls were “really small and awkward to drink,” and tasted “oddly salty-sweet.”
It’s not confirmed yet if the drinks will be rolling out to a national audience.
“Testing is a way of life at Starbucks, and we continue to introduce new drinks and food to menus globally while innovating across key platforms like espresso, cold brew, refreshment, food and more,” the representative adds. “We look forward to learning more, but do not have additional information to share on future availability of these products in our stores, or whether we will expand the test to additional stores or markets.”
Dunkin
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Invented in Taiwan in the 1980s, bubble tea has become widely popular in the United States, with bubble tea stores opening up nationwide.
Last July, Dunkin' tested Popping Bubble Iced Tea at select locations in Massachusetts, pairing a classic iced green tea paired with strawberry popping bubbles. The popping bubbles in the iced tea “burst in your mouth for an explosion of strawberry sweetness with each sip,” Dunkin' said at the time.
Bubble Tea has also appeared on the menu at Sonic in the past as well.
source: people.com
