Technically, boba is Chinese for big boobies, at least according to Wikipedia. But, it's also apparently slang for the balls of tapioca that are added to milk tea, or fruit smoothie, or whatever sort of drink you're getting. Heck, it doesn't even have to be black tapioca: I've had weird jelly pearls too and they're also delicious. There's a lot of variations. And, there's a lot of different names for essentially the same thing: Bubble Tea, Pearl Milk Tea, Boba Milk Tea, etc. Though it was invented in Taiwan, it's pretty popular at Vietnamese restaurants and cafes. Like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, this is one of those weird things that was created in the 1980s that is strange and maybe a bit immature but still quite rad.
So, boba tea. It's a fancy cold drink of various flavors with big balls of black tapioca or colorful jelly at the bottom. You drink it through an uncomfortably large straw. It tastes good and adds a touch of whimsy to your day. Is it a little weird? Sure. Yes. It is a little weird. But it's also awesome. Just like Barnum.
