Boba milk tea

A drink popular in China and Taiwan, known in English as boba tea, black pearl tea, bubble tea, or tapioca tea.

Boba 波霸 literally means the "tyrant of balls" in Mandarin. In Taiwan the drink is commonly referred to as 珍珠奶茶 zhenzhu naicha, "pearl milk tea". The "pearls" refers to the black gummy balls made of tapioca which sit in the mixture of sweetened ice tea and milk (and possibly other flavorings). The balls are generally about 1 cm in diameter and are sucked through a wide straw along with the drink, providing something to chew on between sips.

Not all boba teas are made alike. Some boba are too hard; some are too chewy; some taste too sweet; some taste too bland; some come in tea that tastes awful. Most boba tea lovers need to shop around for their favorite vendors. Long lines outside stores usually serve as hints.

Instead of eating the chewy balls, some kids like to blow them out from the straw to shoot at targets or at each other. The drink is not just a beverage to kids, it also provides a messy entertainment after the liquid is consumed.

The fad started out in Taiwan in the 90's and has now spread internationally, mainly through local Chinese communities.

Reference: [news article from CNN]