The signature chewy tapioca balls in boba tea are about to be a luxury item.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that boba wholesalers say their orders aren’t arriving on time and tea shops all over the Bay Area — and the rest of the country — are running out of their namesake boba.
One main reason is that shipping containers from Thailand are stuck in a backlog of ships outside West Coast ports. Thailand is the main producer of the world’s tapioca starch, the key ingredient that gives tapioca pearls their signature chew.
One of the biggest boba suppliers in Northern California says even if the shipments arrive soon, they likely will not be able to fully supply their clients right away.
That means tapioca could become a luxury as early as next week, with shops running out or having inconsistent supply.
In a video posted on Instagram, Andrew Chau and Bin Chen, founders of the popular chain Boba Guys, say that this is an “industry-wide shortage” that is already affecting some boba shops and asked customers to have patience.
Boba Guys manufactures their own pearls in the U.S., but is still impacted by the shortage of starch.
Boba Guys says the shortage could affect boba shops for several months.
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