US suffers bubble tea drought as Taiwanese tapioca shipments back up in ports
Taiwan’s national drink, pearl milk tea, has taken the world by storm ( ) in recent years, and it is the addition of tapioca balls ( ) — also known variously as “pearls,” “boba” and “bubbles” — that creates the beverage’s unique flavor and textural ( ) experience. However, foreign media are reporting that logistical ( ) delays have caused both Taiwan-produced tapioca balls and tapioca powder from Thailand to be stuck inside shipping containers ( ) as the shipments await customs ( ) approval ( ).
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc ( ) on the global shipping industry, goods and commodities ( ) shipped from Asia, including Taiwan and Thailand, have become held up at US ports, caught up in a backlog ( ) of unprocessed ( ) shipments. This has led to shortages ( ) of some raw materials ( ), causing many US drinks vendors ( ) to grumble ( ) nonstop ( ). One such vendor has fumed ( ) that with no tapioca balls, many customers will not set foot ( ) inside the shop to buy a drink.
Oliver Yoon, global vice president of sales and marketing at Boba Direct, a pearl milk tea product supplier ( ) based in Arlington Heights, Illinois, US, says that about one month ago the company began to experience shortages of raw materials. Yoon adds that it is a nationwide ( ) crisis ( ) and says he expects the situation will not begin to improve until the end of the month.
Tea & Others shop owner Alex Ou says some customers will not buy a drink if the shop has run out of ( ) boba, adding: “They are literally ( ) here for the boba.” Ou says he hopes that customers can be patient, since the shortage of raw materials is only temporary ( ). Nonetheless, it is understandable that this is a depressing ( ) time for many businesses, adds Ou.
According to California-based supplier US Boba Co, 99 percent of boba comes from overseas ( ), and although the company has a boba factory in the US, they are still reliant ( ) on imported tapioca starch ( ). According to reports, in addition to bubble milk tea vendors, other US businesses are also suffering shortages. Starbucks has reported it is experiencing shortages of cups and sugar syrups ( ), while the pandemic has also caused shortages of home fitness ( ) equipment, ice skates and furniture.
因台灣珍珠原料未到 美國陷入珍珠奶茶荒
疫情導致全球航運大亂，一些台灣、泰國等亞洲國家貨物卡在美國港口排隊無法入關，導致珍珠奶茶「珍珠」的原料短缺，讓不少美國飲料店業者叫苦連天，更有業者抱怨，沒有「珍珠」讓許多顧客不願上門買飲料。
綜合外媒報導，近年風靡全球的台灣飲料「珍珠奶茶」，在飲料中添加珍珠創造獨特風味與口感，但因為運輸延誤，來自台灣的珍珠以及來自泰國用來製造珍珠的木薯粉，通通卡在船上貨櫃中等待進關。
位於芝加哥的珍奶產品供應商「Boba Direct」銷售副總奧利佛（Oliver Yoon）說，大概在一個月前就出現原料短缺情形，這是一場全國性的風暴，最快要等到四月底才能紓緩。
「Tea & Others」飲料店老闆艾利克斯（Alex Ou）則表示，如果沒有珍珠，一些顧客根本不願上門購買飲料，「他們都是為珍珠而來」。艾利克斯希望消費者能更有耐心。原料短缺只是暫時的，然而對其他業者來說，這件事的確讓人感到沮喪。
加州珍珠供應商「美國波霸公司」（US Boba Co.）表示，美國有百分之九十九的珍珠來自國外進口，即便他們在美國有自己的工廠，仍需要依靠國外進口木薯粉。報導指，除了珍珠奶茶外，星巴克也出現杯子和糖漿短缺情形，甚至健身器材、溜冰鞋、家具等其他產品，幾乎都受到影響。
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