Sonic and Dunkin’ Both Launch Popping Boba Drinks This Summer | Eater

"Introduced “Popping Bubbles,” strawberry-flavored spheres that can be added to any iced or frozen beverage and are paired with the wide straw used for boba-style drinking; the company says the bubbles are made from a simple syrup with plant-sourced color and distinguishes them from tapioca boba by their softer, burst-in-the-mouth texture rather than a chewy consistency. The rollout — tested in Massachusetts before wider release — is presented as a new add-on option, but critics note that popping boba is already well established elsewhere and that avoiding the term “boba” erases the topping’s cultural provenance." - Jaya Saxena