Don't slurp your tea, chew it

Whenever I think  of tea I think of your average unflavored sweet iced-tea that can be found almost anywhere in the South. So I was stunned when I had to start chewing as I gulped down the last bit of my friend’s green milk tea.

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Seeing my confusion as I handed my friend her drink back she explained that her drink came from Boba Latte, a coffee shop that specializes in a new craze among my friend group: tapioca bubbles.

Starting in East Asia, the trend of using tapioca bubbles in tea has steadily spread to the US, but until last summer, I had no idea what boba, or bubbles, was.

Simply put, boba are small balls of tapioca that range from the size of a pea to slightly smaller than a melon ball.

But don’t worry, you will be offered a wider straw to compensate for the diameter of your boba to make sure you experience the wonders of washing down your drink with food.

Along with that, boba isn’t restricted solely to tea. You can try it with a smoothie (I suggest peach-banana) or you can have it in iced coffee.

Most of the time, your barista will fill your cup anywhere from a quarter to a third full with boba so that you never have a sip without something to chomp on.

The majority of the places that you will find boba are located in Richardson’s Chinatown, but you can also stop by Fat Straws near the Galleria to discover this new field of refreshment.

I’ll admit, boba starts out as a fairly odd experience. But by the time you get to the bottom of your cup, you’ll find yourself wanting to go back for more or looking to see what new drinks you can try it with next.

I usually find myself downing my smoothie with boba in a few minutes, and then spending the next 10 attempting to convince my friends to share. So don’t ever feel bad for wanting more, because you’re not alone.

I would suggest boba to anyone, especially in the summer heat, so head out to try it if you’re ever thirsty while feeling the munchies and are too lazy to satisfy those needs separately.