Andrea Markey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 15/05) - The refreshment trend sweeping the south, bubble tea, has arrived in Yellowknife.

Actually, it has been around town for a long time, but has only recently become available for purchase.

Duyen Dam, co-owner of Treasures of China, recently introduced bubble tea to her store. She and her family have been making the drink at home for years.

Duyen Dam, co-owner of Treasures of China in Stanton Plaza, has been making bubble tea with her family for years. Since May, she has been making it for her customers.

A mix of fruit, sugar and milk or tea is blended together and added to tapioca pearls, or "bubbles," making it a good drink for summer, she said.

"I ran out of fresh mango a couple of weeks ago and quickly realized it was a favourite flavour with my customers," she said.

Keeping fresh fruit on hand is the biggest problem Dam has experienced so far with the new offering.

"One week the fruit is $2, the next it might be $8," she said.

Bubble tea is new to town, but many people have tried it while down south and are familiar with it, she said.

Others have seen the sign in the store and asked to try it.

"Some people might not be used to lumps in their drinks, but I think they quickly get used to it," she said. "And kids love it."

The drink has been popular in Asian countries for years and the bubble tea market has rapidly expanded in Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton, with shops dedicated to selling bubble tea.

Downtown maybe soon

Dam's family is also thinking about making bubble tea available at their Jade Garden and Yk Pizza restaurant in Yellowknife.

"We just need to find the people to make it," she said.

In addition to cutting up the mango, kiwi, watermelon, papaya, and other available fresh fruit, the tapioca bubbles have to be made fresh each day.

It takes an hour to boil the tapioca, 20 minutes for it to settle and then it requires a wash, she said.

The final product is served with a large straw in a clear glass, so you can easily see the dark bubbles.