You eat them in your dessert. You scoop them with a spoon. You suck them through a fat straw. They're just small black balls of tapioca floating in your drink, but they must contain some sort of powerful drug because they're dangerously addicting.
Boba was invented in Taiwanese tea shops in the 80s but has become an epidemic in SoCal in recent years, particularly among college students and other youth. Tea shops specializing in boba have popped up everywhere, but there are 10 in the area that you can trust to give you the freshest boba in your tea, smoothie or shaved snow. All images by Taylor Weik.
See Also
INFOGRAPHIC: 10 Things You Should Know About Bubble Tea