Two new cafes in Kent are serving a cold beverage that’s wildly popular in many Asian countries. In today’s Quick Bite, WKSU’s Vivian Goodman reports the drink is catching on here as a novelty for some, and for others, a refreshing taste of home. Bubble tea is tea that’s shaken or stirred with milk or fruit juice, with tiny balls of tapioca dropped into it. Mingliang Xie uses green tea for most drinks served at Ming’s Bubble Tea on East Main Street in Kent. Ming’s birthplace is mainland China. But bubble tea probably originated in Taiwan. It’s believed to have first been brewed at the Chun Shui Tang teahouse in Taichung, Taiwan. Both Kent shops opened over the summer Bubble tea is also brewing these days on North Mantua Street on the other side of Kent. Jo Li, the owner of Ha!Tea Bubble Tea House, emigrated to the U.S., like Ming, in 2009. Kent’s competing bubble tea parlors both opened about three months ago, and both say business has been good. Ming offers many varieties, but he says