Bubble tea and boba are names that are often used interchangeably for the same drink and both are correct. As a Canadian, I’ve always called it bubble tea but the term ‘boba’ is more often used in the USA. In Cantonese, the direct translation of the drink’s name would be ‘boba milk tea’. Technically, boba refers to the tapioca pearls themselves. In the end, they all essentially mean the same thing.