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Those slick, black rounds lingering in the nether regions of your bubble tea are tapioca pearls, also called boba, black pearls, QQ (short for chewy-chewy in Cantonese) or simply, slimy black thingies. They are a relatively new addition to beverages, but their history is long and shrouded in tales of ancient globalization and food processing.
I was expecting a cathartic experience. A few weeks ago a message landed in my in-box that touted a hot new item on the Park Plaza Gardens menu: a Kobe-beef burger. We're talking about the legendary Japanese cows that are purportedly massaged twice a day with warm sake; that are fed rich diets of beer and expensive grain; whose feet ethereally never touch the ground.
There is a sense of action when you walk up to the historic building that houses Natural Chicken Grill and step into the ice-cold air, reggae music blaring. THWAP goes the butcher's knife as it lands heavily on a chopping block, while an employee (who thankfully had no welcome spiel) asks you how your day is going. By this time you've noticed the amazing smells and the dozens of butterflied chickens sizzling away on an enormous grill. Suddenly, there is nothing in the world you want more. THWAP, THWAP.