Boba Tea Interview 1

In case you guys haven't heard, there is a big drink craze going on right now. It's called Boba Tea, also known as Bubble Tea or Pearl Tea made of tapioca balls. Boba (Tapioca) milk tea has been very popular in Asian communities for a few years already. The term "Boba,” is roughly pronounced in Mandarin it literally meant bubble tea and in my own interpretation of history, I surmise that the name wasn't just derived from the addition of bubble-like tapioca balls but its common preparation that the bubble tea was made in a cocktail shaker (Wentz). They are big, soft, and chewy tapioca balls that sit at the bottom of your boba drink. You slurp the gelatinous balls through a huge wide straw and chew on them while you drink. It's both a refreshing beverage and healthy snack in one! Boba drinks are great for diets because they are low in calories and filling, like a small meal. It's quite an interesting experience that you'll love once you try it. The whole part that you eat your drink, it’s very exciting and enjoyable. According to Laurel Wentz, in her research she found that Tapioca comes from the cassava root (also known as yuca, manioc, mandioca), which is an essential in Africa and South America. Cassava roots can be bitter or sweet and should be cooked before eating. They are an important source of carbohydrate calories in tropical regions throughout the earth. Tapioca comes from the starch extracted from the cassava root (Wentz). Also the cold drink made of tea, milk, flavoring and small pearls of the chewy tapioca originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s. Since then, it has swept Asia and invaded the USA. Wentz quoted that the boba drink industry is, "moving from the West to East. At first, only Asian people were drinking it, but now the mainstream is drinking it also." It is sold both as flour and as pearls. The pearls are what give it the bubble look at the bottom of your drink. I personally love boba! I can put it in my milk teas, shakes, iced teas and