BREDA, The Netherlands: There is a meme circulating on Instagram that describes Asian parents’ highest praise for desserts as “not too sweet”. Yet, an opposite trend is emerging among young Singaporeans, for whom sugary beverages such as bubble tea have become deeply ingrained in everyday life.
At the height of the bubble tea craze in the 2000s, it was not unusual for parents or older relatives to purchase the drinks in bulk as a gesture of care for the rest of the family. During my student days in Singapore, going for supper was also a common ritual. Ordering a sweet drink such as Milo dinosaur, teh tarik, barley water or bandung was the norm, whether or not you ordered food to go with it.
This cultural shift, however, comes at a significant cost to public health. According to the 2022 National Nutrition Survey, Singapore adults consume an average of 56g of sugar daily, with over half derived from sweetened beverages.
This excessive intake is more than alarming; it's a ticking time bomb for public health. Research indicates that consuming an additional 250ml of sweet drinks daily increases diabetes risk by up to 26 per cent.
A Nanyang Technological University study revealed that some young adults in Singapore consume as many as four sweetened beverages in a day and that many have low awareness of hidden sugars in these drinks, putting them at greater risk of diabetes and obesity.
Within the landscape of sweet beverages, it seems that bubble tea has a particularly strong grip among teenagers and young adults in Singapore. This is evidenced by some workplaces having informal bubble tea order systems, and the evolution of cafes like Chagee from grab-and-go spots to sit-down establishments that mirror traditional coffee shops.
Singapore's bubble tea market has an annual turnover of US$342 million, making it the fourth-largest market in Southeast Asia despite having the smallest population among the region's six key markets.
Bubble tea occupies a unique space between snack and drink. The Japanese term "kuchisabishii", which literally translates as "lonely mouth", alludes to the phenomenon of eating out of boredom rather than hunger. With bubble tea, you have both a beverage and a snack to chew on over an extended period, without the fuss of sitting down to a full meal.
In a country known for being a food paradise, young Singaporeans’ zeal for bubble tea can rival the ferocity with which locals debate the best places for chicken rice or nasi lemak. Virtual communities have spawned online, where aficionados passionately laud the merits of their favourite brands, dispense recommendations and discuss the ideal chew of bubble tea pearls.
Brands seem to be responding to this with creations that blur the line between beverage and dessert. Offerings include cane roasted genmaicha milk tea, chrysanthemum with honey pearl, peach oolong, and even bubble tea with a bruleed top.
These modern offerings make the flavours of “green apple ice blended”, “blue coral milk tea” and “pearl red bubble tea” that I’d grown up with seem utterly basic and ordinary.
While many consumers believe that choosing a lower sugar level, or omitting the syrup altogether, makes their drink healthy. This is often a misconception and could lead to an underestimation of the beverage’s sugar content.
According to the Health Promotion Board, even at zero per cent sugar, there are three teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bubble tea drink with tapioca pearls – 30 per cent of the recommended daily sugar intake.
Recognising the severity of the situation, the Singapore government has implemented numerous measures to address this health concern. The Nutri-Grade system mandated front-of-pack nutrition labels for pre-packaged beverages in 2022, and was extended to freshly prepared beverages in 2023.
The 2023 "siu dai by default" movement also encourages food and beverage establishments to offer freshly prepared drinks with less sugar as a default, with about 60 per cent of outlets now doing so.
While this progress in reducing sugar intake is commendable, the question remains: Is there enough recognition of the unhealthy obsession with sugary drinks in Singapore?
For this, education is key. On a recent visit to Singapore, I was impressed by posters in train stations that offered bite-size tips on being a better listener to loved ones grappling with mental health struggles. If similar widespread campaigns that raise awareness about sugary drinks are implemented in places with high foot traffic, the results could move the needle.
There could also be stricter regulations on advertising, especially in schools, to prevent the normalisation of sweet drinks. I remember growing up in the 90s watching Milo advertisements on the television that frequently featured athletes, and looking forward to the free Milo when the trucks came to our schools on sports day. Such associations shaped how healthy I believed malt drinks to be.
For many of us, sweetness, whether in the form of food or drinks, is often associated with comfort, celebration or stress relief. In fact, a cup of bubble tea can be one of the little joys of life.
The problem is when we drink more sugar than is good for us. It will take years for us as a society to get used to less sugar, but it requires a collective effort from policymakers, educators and individuals.
Pamelia Chia is a cookbook author and creator of Singapore Noodles, a newsletter dedicated to celebrating Asian culinary traditions and food cultures.
Continue reading...
At the height of the bubble tea craze in the 2000s, it was not unusual for parents or older relatives to purchase the drinks in bulk as a gesture of care for the rest of the family. During my student days in Singapore, going for supper was also a common ritual. Ordering a sweet drink such as Milo dinosaur, teh tarik, barley water or bandung was the norm, whether or not you ordered food to go with it.
This cultural shift, however, comes at a significant cost to public health. According to the 2022 National Nutrition Survey, Singapore adults consume an average of 56g of sugar daily, with over half derived from sweetened beverages.
This excessive intake is more than alarming; it's a ticking time bomb for public health. Research indicates that consuming an additional 250ml of sweet drinks daily increases diabetes risk by up to 26 per cent.
A Nanyang Technological University study revealed that some young adults in Singapore consume as many as four sweetened beverages in a day and that many have low awareness of hidden sugars in these drinks, putting them at greater risk of diabetes and obesity.
THE BUBBLE TEA PHENOMENON
Within the landscape of sweet beverages, it seems that bubble tea has a particularly strong grip among teenagers and young adults in Singapore. This is evidenced by some workplaces having informal bubble tea order systems, and the evolution of cafes like Chagee from grab-and-go spots to sit-down establishments that mirror traditional coffee shops.
Singapore's bubble tea market has an annual turnover of US$342 million, making it the fourth-largest market in Southeast Asia despite having the smallest population among the region's six key markets.
Bubble tea occupies a unique space between snack and drink. The Japanese term "kuchisabishii", which literally translates as "lonely mouth", alludes to the phenomenon of eating out of boredom rather than hunger. With bubble tea, you have both a beverage and a snack to chew on over an extended period, without the fuss of sitting down to a full meal.
In a country known for being a food paradise, young Singaporeans’ zeal for bubble tea can rival the ferocity with which locals debate the best places for chicken rice or nasi lemak. Virtual communities have spawned online, where aficionados passionately laud the merits of their favourite brands, dispense recommendations and discuss the ideal chew of bubble tea pearls.
Brands seem to be responding to this with creations that blur the line between beverage and dessert. Offerings include cane roasted genmaicha milk tea, chrysanthemum with honey pearl, peach oolong, and even bubble tea with a bruleed top.
These modern offerings make the flavours of “green apple ice blended”, “blue coral milk tea” and “pearl red bubble tea” that I’d grown up with seem utterly basic and ordinary.
Related:
While many consumers believe that choosing a lower sugar level, or omitting the syrup altogether, makes their drink healthy. This is often a misconception and could lead to an underestimation of the beverage’s sugar content.
According to the Health Promotion Board, even at zero per cent sugar, there are three teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bubble tea drink with tapioca pearls – 30 per cent of the recommended daily sugar intake.
TACKLING THE OBSESSION WITH SUGARY DRINKS
Recognising the severity of the situation, the Singapore government has implemented numerous measures to address this health concern. The Nutri-Grade system mandated front-of-pack nutrition labels for pre-packaged beverages in 2022, and was extended to freshly prepared beverages in 2023.
The 2023 "siu dai by default" movement also encourages food and beverage establishments to offer freshly prepared drinks with less sugar as a default, with about 60 per cent of outlets now doing so.
While this progress in reducing sugar intake is commendable, the question remains: Is there enough recognition of the unhealthy obsession with sugary drinks in Singapore?
For this, education is key. On a recent visit to Singapore, I was impressed by posters in train stations that offered bite-size tips on being a better listener to loved ones grappling with mental health struggles. If similar widespread campaigns that raise awareness about sugary drinks are implemented in places with high foot traffic, the results could move the needle.
There could also be stricter regulations on advertising, especially in schools, to prevent the normalisation of sweet drinks. I remember growing up in the 90s watching Milo advertisements on the television that frequently featured athletes, and looking forward to the free Milo when the trucks came to our schools on sports day. Such associations shaped how healthy I believed malt drinks to be.
Related:
For many of us, sweetness, whether in the form of food or drinks, is often associated with comfort, celebration or stress relief. In fact, a cup of bubble tea can be one of the little joys of life.
The problem is when we drink more sugar than is good for us. It will take years for us as a society to get used to less sugar, but it requires a collective effort from policymakers, educators and individuals.
Pamelia Chia is a cookbook author and creator of Singapore Noodles, a newsletter dedicated to celebrating Asian culinary traditions and food cultures.
Continue reading...