While the finer details of the business were still to be figured out, the co-founders of Got Tea had two important principles which guided their business efforts – their products would be a combination of two cultures, Korean and Indian, and that all the ingredients they use in their products would be sourced locally. These two principles formed a sort of ‘multicultural’ approach to their business, something which we had learned in Woodstock, and team Got Tea was bringing this to their business. 

So, what goes into bubble tea? Well the two main ingredients are the bubbles and the tea! Now while some may argue that the bubbles are the most important part of bubble tea, I think it is the tea – the bubbles won’t matter if the tea is substandard. And lucky for the Got Tea team, India has plenty of tea! 

So, for the tea, the team approached a senior from school, Tadit, who runs a tea plantation in Assam. He sent a couple of options of teas to them, for them to taste and figure out which teas were best suited to their product. To date, the Got Tea team uses the tea sourced from Tadit’s tea plantations in Assam, ensuring that the freshest batches reach them. 

Now, if you’ve noticed, Got Tea calls itself Korean Bubble Tea. And you’re probably saying to yourself, “Now Tariqa, bubble tea isn’t Korean – it’s Taiwanese!” So, what makes this product Korean? Well, it’s the Got Tea secret syrup! 

Got Tea uses a traditional Korean sweetener called “Jocheong” in all their drinks, reducing  the use of sugar in them. They have come up with their own secret recipe of Jocheong, which perfectly balances each drink (the sweetness of which can be customized to your preference).

All of these ingredients came together in a little apartment that SuAh and YuSung had rented in Safdarjung Enclave, where they began experimenting with mixing different flavours and ingredients to make their bubble teas.

The four co-founders got together everyday to test each flavour until they had the perfect formula. Even I was invited one evening for dinner, in March 2020, to their apartment, to taste their experimental brews (and some amazing Korean food cooked by YuSung). 

Combining the Jocheong with India’s finest teas and fruits, they started forming their signature bubble teas. And that's how your fresh Got Tea bubble teas are made!

This journal is an ongoing series tracing the story of Got Tea, the latest bubble tea store launched in India, located in South Delhi. Want to know what happens next? Stay tuned – new episodes come out every week!