Dale, the NYTimes had an article last summer on bubble tea, and touched on the straws, and the size of the straw used to drink the tea.
Optimally the pearls of tapioca should be just slightly smaller than the straw.. they should be small enough to be sucked up the straw, but not so small that you get too many at one time.. (it was the engineering of the straws that intreigued me, too, since i have no interest in drinking the stuff.)
i suspect it was a sunday magazine food article (i am more likely to read them then the wednesday food section ones)
the NYTimes has made it harder to search their archive (for free) but most of the magazine is usually available.
tapioca is one of those love/hate foods. (and i have stated my view!) but it was still interesting to read about the 'bubble tea' fad.
(i hope i made it clear, the 'bubbles' aren't bubbles (of air) but the translucent pearls of tapioca suspended in the thickened, but still fluid beverage, that look like bubbles.
