Boba Tea and Boba Pearls: The Science Behind the Perfect Chew
Boba pearls are an inseparable element of each bubble tea. They are the highlight of these drinks, and it is so for a reason. Bubble tea bubbles are what gives these drinks their unique texture, thus it is not surprising that they are the most common bubble tea topping. But what’s the science behind them – how are they made? And what actually are boba pearls? If you want to find answers, read this article!
What are boba pearls?
Boba pearls are the most popular bubble tea topping. There are the round with brown sugar flavor that you can find in your drinks. Boba tea pearls are made of tapioca powder – a type of starch found in cassava roots. These plants are known to have their origin in South America, they later traveled to other countries, Taiwan – the cradle of bubble tea history. Their starch was then used to prepare the delicious boba pearls – the most recognizable element of these drinks.
Tapioca starch is the ingredient of boba pearls for a reason – it gives a great chewy texture when mixed with water. Additionally, it should be mentioned that it is gluten-free.
If you are an Asian-cuisine passionate, you probably stumbled upon sago – white chewy balls popular in many dishes. However, tapioca pearls and sago are not the same thing. The former is obtained from the roots of cassava, while the latter comes from the pith of tropical plants. Thus, although they might seem similar, tapioca and sago bubbles are two different toppings.
How to make boba pearls?
While it might seem tricky, it is actually possible to prepare your own tapioca pearls. This is a great option both if you want to try to make your own bubble tea, and if you are thinking about enriching your beverages bought at a local boba store. The main advantage of making your own bubble tea bubbles is that you can adjust their chewiness and firmness to what you like. So, how to make your own brown sugar boba pearls?
Boil water with brown sugar (50ml of water per 25g of brown sugar).
Add tapioca starch and mix it (about 75-80g of tapioca starch per 50ml of water)
Add the same amount of tapioca starch and mix it again – it should form a dough
Cut the dough into small squares and form it into little balls.
Cook the balls – for about 7 minutes in medium or hot water, then turn to low heat and wait for them to start floating on the surface
Put the floating balls into an ice bath for 1 minute.
Cook water and brown sugar for 5 minutes in a different pot (50ml of water per 50g of sugar – but cook slightly less than in the first step)
Add the boba pearls to the brown sugar syrup, stir and cook until it thickens to the desired level – this will also give the boba pearls their caramelized flavor
Enjoy your self-made bubble tea pearls.
As you can see, the process is quite simple. It should take you no more than 30 minutes to prepare your own, delicious bubbles. And, if you are wondering how colorful boba pearls are made, you can add fruit powder to it.
The takeaway
Boba pearls are the main attribute of bubble tea. Most of them are made of brown sugar, water, and tapioca starch. The recipe is simple, so you can try to prepare your own boba pearls at home. And if you want to try different toppings, you can take a look at our drinks menu – you will find many more topping possibility there.
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