Little gummy balls in Asian smoothie?

My boyfriend and I go to an Asian donut shop, and there they have what they call "Asian Best smoothie", and they're awesome. They also have these little gummy black balls in them. I was just wondering if anyone knew what they were or were called, because I've never seen them before in my life!

They're called Tapioca balls, they're delicious, and pretty high in calories if I remember correctly.

They're called Boba or Americanized to Bubbles around here.  They're actually a kind of tapioca!

People either really love them or really don't.  I have some issues with the texture, personally, so I order my smoothies without!

I think this might be the CC for little white tapioca balls but this gives you an idea: http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-tapioc a-pearl-dry-i20068

Also: http://www.hungry-girl.com/askhg/askhgdetails .php?isid=920

Hi!  What you're drinking is a version of bubble tea, and the little black pearls you're eating are called boba, and are a type of tapioca made of the cassava root.

Unfotunately, these delicious pearls are packed with calories, with 110 calories in only 50g, uncooked!  Which means that you can add as much as 400 calories to the calorie count of the smoothie.

What I do is either save my bubble tea (or smoothie, for you!) for my treat day, or switch out the pearls/boba for lychee chunks or coconut jelly, which are both much lower in calories, and quite tasty as well.

Never had Bubble Tea, is it filling and really good? I bet the tapioca is sugary.. i'm going to look.  I wouldn't mind trying a small  its caffeinated tea right the tapioca sweetens it.  They have it on the west coast.  idk where around me (haven't looked :O in nj).

glad you liked it ecwk6 =)

Thanks guys, I honeslty wasn't worried about the calorie count though lol. I had estimated the smoothie + boba to be about 600-700 cals anyway, so that seems about right.

and sfredbull - it really isn't filling, but it is delicious! except the first time I had it I didn't know about the "bubbles" and when there were gummy balls in my mouth I freaked out hahaa.

And it might just be a california thing, but there are tons of asian-owned donut shops around here, and lots of them have it. Maybe check there?

Bubble Tea is completely awesome!  I love the really huge tapioca balls, the ones that are a centimeter in diameter or more.  Mmm, starch.

Mmmm.... Bubble tea and smoothies are my major dieting weakness. So. Many. Carbs. (between the tapioca starches and all the sugar, oy!)

Sfredbull: I don't know what part of NJ you're in, but if you're near the city there are a ton of bubble tea specialty shops in Manhattan. My favorite is Tea Kettle on St. Mark's between 2nd and 3rd Aves.

These were really popular where I grew up. I remember the boys in high school would dry the balls off "spit wad" them with that big straw at the girls. They stick and stain to your clothes.

Just thought I'd share a memory with you :)

thanks sortoflikeagirl.

i'm at the jersey shore but next time i'm in manhattan i think i should try the bubble tea sounds savory.