In 2021-2022, as we bid farewell to the old and usher in the new, TikTok has made another extraordinary contribution to reveal a "pearl coffee" from Starbucks, and the pearls that we are no longer familiar with can be seen in the drink.

Not to mention, with the addition of these round little grains, the whole cup of coffee looks really precious.

The video comes from a blogger with an ID named @kirbssister. She photographed the menu of "Pearl Coffee" in a Starbucks store and ordered a cup. The small material looked similar to pearls, and its taste was described as "It's okay, But it's kind of weird, salty and sweet."

Then the video began to go viral, and mainstream media such as People and Insider published reports one after another, all of which used “boba-style” in the title.

But, are attributives the same as definitions?Is this the pearl in the milk tea we often drink?If so, is Starbucks going to start grabbing the business of milk tea shops?

At this point, Nextshark couldn’t stand it anymore. This top-tier Asian-American digital media company explained what these pearls were in three big characters – “Coffee Topping Pearls”, which is the increasingly popular beverage ingredient – ​​popping beads.

Except, at Starbucks, it's Brazilian coffee.

One word stirred up a thousand waves.Of course, the melon eaters will not miss the opportunity to laugh at Starbucks. Except for one who said that this video was taken by his girlfriend (there are proud faces between the lines), there are also many golden sentences in the comment area:

"Crazy? Coffee with coffee?"

"Bombshells? We've had them for a long time, and Starbucks is still making it like something new."

"This is jealousy of pearls!"

"Let a real bubble tea shop sell pearls!"

Of course, there are also some who are confused, saying why Starbucks pearls look like caviar?

Answering her netizens, she gave a very professional explanation: Pop beads are also a kind of pearls, but they are not made from tapioca flour and then boiled, but filled with coffee liquid. They are also relatively small, so they look relatively colored. deep.

A spokesperson for Starbucks confirmed in the email that the company is indeed testing two new beverages, and the testing process is quite interesting👇

1⃣️The two stores participating in the test are located inPalm Desert in California和Bellevue on the east side of Seattle, but the exact address was not disclosed.Friends in these two places, you can try your luck.

2⃣️The two new products with popping beads are the cold brewed ice drink "In the Dark" and the Indian milk tea iced latte.The test is limited, and it all depends on fate.

3⃣️ In the markets of other countries, Starbucks has actually launched similar products. Some netizens said that they had been sold in mainland China and Hong Kong as early as 4 years ago.But this time it seems to be the first attempt in the United States, we will wait and see whether it succeeds or not.

If it does work, the Starbucks barista's nightmare might be: Hello, please give me a Boba Frappuccino (is a pearl frappuccino okay?)

So far, the closest Starbucks has come to bubble tea is the coffee jelly drink released in Japan in 2016.

A unicorn in the coffee world, such as Starbucks, who wants to launch bubble tea in North America must, like other companies, consider the following:

size of potential market demand

Although bubble tea, popular in Asia, is already common in the United States, this trend seems to be gradually being replaced by Kombucha.This is not to say that bubble tea will definitely become outdated, but a healthy trend drink like Kombucha may have more opportunities in terms of commercial value, especially after the epidemic.

operational complexity

Adding bubble tea to the recipes currently used by baristas is actually quite difficult.

Cost of Goods vs. Price Profit

Raw material cost + beverage pricing = how much profit Starbucks can make.There is also the issue of brand fit. After all, milk tea is about love, and coffee is about daily life.Starbucks selection and selection of items, making money is the only criterion.

So, people's love-hate relationship with Starbucks probably started from the day it opened.Speaking of which, I have to talk about Starbucks' first coffee shop.

Everyone thinks that the one in Seattle's Pike Place Market is the first Starbucks store; in fact, the correct name should be "Original Starbucks". In response to the market's requirements, the entire store has retained the appearance of the 70s and 80s.

But then again, if one day Starbucks really sells bubble tea, I'm still going to try it.

What about you?

Writer | Jane

All pictures come from the Internet, the copyright belongs to the photographer