Bubble tea (also known as boba) was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s, and it has since become a beloved global drink and a symbol of Taiwanese culture.
Two tea shops claim to have invented it:
https://www.yiouyi101.com/product-page/mixfruit-coconut-jelly– Says that in 1988, a staff member randomly added small tapioca pearls to iced Assam