Chewy tapioca pearls that are added to bubble tea and other drinks for texture.
From Taiwanese Hokkien bubble tea (bōa-bué tê), where 'bubble' refers to the foam on top. 'Boba' sometimes refers to the drink itself or the pearls.
Bubble tea exploded globally in the 1990s starting from Taiwan, and now there are over 50 different toppings beyond boba—but the name 'bubble tea' actually comes from the foam, not the pearls!
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