Taiwan-originated bubble drinks gaining popularity in America

[dArKeR]

Kim Vu makes bubble teas at Boba Tea House in Haltom City, Texas. (Knight ridder)
They're somewhere between squishy and chewy, and they come submerged in flavors from passionfruit to strawberry to kumquat to soursop.

They're called boba, or tapioca pearl balls, and the drinks in whose depths they lurk can be coffee or tea; fruit frappes or smoothies or coolers; milk drinks that may or may not have milk in them.

We're talking about bubble tea, or boba tea or pearl milk tea. These sweetened cold beverages are the cool thing to drink for young Asians (and, increasingly, young non-Asians) in big cities from Los Angeles to Houston to Vancouver, and they're becoming easy to find in the Asian enclaves around the country.

The trend-conscious, and those who do much traveling, will have been aware of bubble tea for a few years now. In major cities and those with large Asian populations, boba shops draw young hangers-out in much the same way coffeehouses or lounges attract older socializers.

http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2004/02/02/1075687716.htm

[madrchsod]

1. "orbitz"

product of canada. really awful stuff ,i`m staring at these floating bits of goo and it`s scary.

[dArKeR]

2. You just have to get used to swallowing it.

[cprise]

3. Where are the Pop Rocks?

.

[Bamboo]

4. "Your roving gnome,Quentin Crisp"

Bubble QQ Tea is sold at EPCOT in Disney World which tasted like Strawberry Quik.A jumbo straw is used to suck up the tapioca balls but Disney's version did not provide a straw which makes fishing out the tapioca from the bottom tedious.Sushi and bubble tea provide starch,fat and protein and have healthy profit margins,young people who cannot afford sushi can still be hip at the bubble tea price and maintain blood sugar levels.Disney is gay friendly and trends are stolen from gays by straits,I think of Disney as the gay sensibility which has been stolen and repackaged.Maybe bubble tea is just an example of this and may explain why there is no hardware store in Celebration.