#5 Boba (Tapioca Drinks)

In case you didn't know, "Boba" is equivalent to Tapioca Drinks, which are more commonly known as milk tea pearl drinks.

Nothing is more refreshing and fulfilling than going to a local milk tea shop and getting some tapioca. For Asians, this it is required to enjoy Tapioca three times a week. Everynight, these places are crowded full of Asians eager for some milk tea and perhaps an order of popcorn chicken and/or ice cream. Though you can order milk tea in a huge variety of ways, most Asians "keep it real" and pay the 1.99 for the regular gmilk tea with tapioca. The more westernized ways to have it: slushy, cappucino, irish cream, banana strawberry smoothie etc, are more appreciated by non-Asians. It's usually on rare occassion when Asians have these outrageous flavors.

Asians and Boba are much like coffee drinkers and white people. These places have long lines of Asians eagerly waiting for Boba. Asians may not be purchasing three or four cups a day, but they casually drink it just as much, and is a great medium for Asians to socialize. Like in coffee shops, Asians will purchase their boba and hang out with one another in the shop upwards to three hours since buying their boba. The "upside" I suppose is that Boba isn't such a high maintence drink as Coffee is. Meaning there is no "soy, extra shot, whip cream, caramel, etc etc." option for each order. And if there were, perhaps the most one can ever modify a boba drink is "pearl or no pearl?" Though most Asians would call you crazy to not have pearl in the drink.

A lot of Asians have convinced themselves that they know where the best tapioca is, and one place is better than another. That's pretty much saying "this place has better lettuce than that place" or "this starbucks has crunchier chocolate chips than that starbucks." Occassional drinkers would never know the difference in tapioca, but Asians are no Occasional drinkers of boba.

When do Asians drink boba? Here's a short list: taking a break from studying, after working out, after a test/midterm, on a hot day, after clubbing, after a mixer from some academic/social club, before lunch, after lunch, late in the afternoon, late night, after dinner.

It may seem that I'm implying " all the time" but not really, an Asian would never have Boba in the morning.