Draft:Lin Hsui Hui

Biography/Life Summary

Lin Hsui Hui was a product development manager for Chun Shui Tang. This teahouse is located in Taichung, Taiwan. There is barely any published information regarding Lin Hsui Hui prior to the onset of her fame for her drink. She created the beverage when she was only twenty years old, and it seems that she had an average upbringing. However, being a product development manager at twenty years old showcases her strong work ethic and dedication. Lin Hsui Hui has still not gained much fame herself; she is not recognized in public until she mentions the company that she works for. She does not like to be in the public eye, as she feels that her company is the one that provided her with the opportunities to grow her career. As of June 27, 2019, she has been with the company for almost 34 years. She is still dedicated to the company today. Lin Hsui Hui had no prior experience or even a liking for tea until she came to Chun Shui Tang, although the tapioca pudding is a nostalgic, childhood memory for her. She does not want to open her own boba tea business because she feels that her boss and the company is the one that is actually able to manage all of the financing and operations. Rather than be upset about people copying and industrializing her invention, she feels that it shows the product’s merit. On top of that, she feels that she can utilize the improvements that other people have made to her invention (a reciprocal effect).

Invention

Liu Han-Chieh realized a key problem regarding tea: team consumption has remained the same forever. The way that tea was consumed, which was hot and plain, had never changed ever since its conception. So, he decided that he would work with Liu Hsui Hui to make the tea iced, add tapioca pearls to the iced tea, and use a cocktail shaker to mix all the ingredients together. Other notable differences from the traditional tea options / market / competitors at the time included a froth that formed at the top of the tea, the sugar-based syrup that was used as a sweetener, and the fragrance of the milk tea.

In 1988, Lin Hsui Hui made the first iteration of boba tea! During an employee meeting, she combined her tea with a tapioca pudding, also known as fen yuan. She worked with her boss, Liu Han-Chieh, who was the founder of iced tea in the 1980s, to create the final, commercial form of this invention. By converting the tapioca pudding into tapioca balls, they were able to combine the tapioca balls and iced tea into what we now know today as bubble or boba tea! Unfortunately, Lin Hsui Hui never patented or trademarked her invention. Her company, along with herself, was focused on continuous innovation and raising international awareness around Taiwanese tea culture.

Impact on Society Today

Even though she did not patent or trademark her invention, she paved the way for a thriving industry that is growing to this day. The worldwide boba tea market size in 2027 was projected to be 3.39 billion USD! However, in 2019, the worldwide boba tea market size had already exceeded that at a value of 5.3 billion USD! Lin Hsui Hui not patenting and trademarking her product resulted in a large debate between Chun Shui Tang and Hanlin Tea Room, who also did not have a patent for the beverage, for who came up with boba tea first. Neither were successful in getting patents, getting trademarks, or winning lawsuits. Thus, the drink just became popularized and mechanized worldwide by numerous companies. Today, at Chun Shui Tang, the boba tea is still carefully crafted by hand and served in cocktail glasses as a reminder of its origins. As of 2019, Chun Shui Tang had 71 stores across Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan.

Continuation of Her Invention Today

Lin Hsui Hui’s invention has made a lasting impact on the present, as boba tea is a staple among high school students and college students. Tons of successful businesses have opened in this industry, such as Gong Cha. Her innovation is still in use today by many corporations across the world.