According to the Wikipedia, here is a revised description of bubble tea:

 Bubble tea is a tea beverage that originated in Taiwan in the 1980s. The term "bubble" refers to the tapioca balls in the drink. These chewy tapioca balls, or "pearls," are consumed along with the beverage through a wide straw.

Bubble tea is a mixture of iced or hot sweetened tea, milk, and often other flavorings. The distinctive characteristics of bubble tea are the black gummy balls made of tapioca (or, more commonly in East Asia, yam starch), called "pearls" or "boba" or balls that sit at the bottom of the cup. The pearls are larger than those found in tapioca pudding, with a diameter of at least 6 millimeters, but smaller ones are occasionally used. They are generally translucent brown with a darker brown center, although pearls of other colors or 'jelly cubes' have also recently become available.

The original bubble tea consisted of a hot Taiwanese black tea, tapioca pearls, condensed milk, and honey. As this drink became more popular, variations were created. Initially iced versions with a hint of peach or plum flavoring began to appear, then more fruit flavors were added until, in some variations, the tea was removed entirely in favor of real fruits. Today you can find shops entirely devoted to bubble tea, similar to juice bars of the early 1990's. They usually contain colored pearls that are chosen to match whatever fruit juice is used, in addition to brightly colored oversize straws for sucking up the pearls.

Bubble tea is generally split into two types: fruit-flavored teas, and milk teas. Milk teas may use dairy or non-dairy creamers.

The mixtures that make up bubble tea vary. Several examples of flavors are strawberry, passion fruit, chocolate, and coconut, and may be added in the form of powder, fruit juice, pulp, or syrup to hot black or green tea, which is shaken in a cocktail shaker or mixed in a blender with ice until chilled. The mixture is usually combined with milk and cooked tapioca pearls.

Bubble tea bars often serve bubble tea using a machine to seal the top of the cup with plastic cellophane. This allows the tea to be shaken in the serving cup. The cellophane is then pierced with a straw. Other cafés use plastic dome-shaped lids.

These tapioca pearls are made mostly of tapioca starch, which comes from the tapioca, or  the cassava plant. In other parts of the world, the cassava plant may be called manioca or yuca. Cassava is native to South America, and was introduced to Asia in the 1800s. The balls are prepared by boiling for 25 minutes, until they are cooked thoroughly but have not lost pliancy, then cooled for 25 minutes. After cooking they last about 7 hours. The pearls have little taste, and are usually soaked in sugar or honey solutions.

Here are some common names that bubble tea is often also referred to as:

   * pearl (milk) tea or drink
    * tapioca milk tea drink
    * milk pearl tea or drink
    * black pearl (milk) tea or drink
    * (milk) tea pearl
    * boba (milk) tea or drink
    * Chooba tea or drink
    * tapioca (milk) tea or drink
    * bubble tea
    * bubble milk

Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_tea