Need to satisfy your curiosity and find out what the black balls in boba are called? Well, they're simply nothing else other than the namesake of the drink itself - they're boba pearls! Boba pearls (or boba balls) are the chewy black spheres shaped and boiled to add a slightly sweet textural contrast against the backdrop of delightful tea of your chosen flavor! But that's not all—boba pearls have evolved quite a lot since their inception, and they are now available in quite a few extra varieties other than black balls. To find out more, read the rest of our article!

What Are the Black Balls in Boba Made Of?

The primary ingredient in the classic boba pearls is tapioca starch, which is derived from the cassava plant, more specifically, its root part. As a starchy plant native to South America (quite similar to a sweet potato, actually), cassava gets processed into a fine powder, also called tapioca flour, and then becomes the base, out of which boba pearls are later shaped and prepared for boiling.

Why Are the Black Balls in Boba Black?

Interestingly, tapioca starch naturally has a white color. Therefore, you may wonder where the boba pearls themselves get their distinctive deep black color from. That is actually courtesy of the brown sugar that's added to the pearls. After they've been shaped, they are soaked in a dark brown sugar syrup, which imparts a dark color onto the pearls.

The Taste and Texture of Boba Pearls

But hang on a minute! If boba pearls are derived from a root vegetable, then how come they're so chewy and bouncy rather than rigid and impossible to bite through?

Boba pearls owe their chewiness to the preparation process. To become the delightful little pearls we all know and love, they are first boiled long enough to soften the starch granules within. The heat transforms the tapioca starch into a gel-like consistency, softening the hard exterior and creating that signature bouncy texture. After boiling, the pearls are usually soaked in a sugar syrup to retain their softness and infuse them with a touch of sweetness.

And while boba pearls have become notorious for this chewiness, their taste is an equally important characteristic. Tapioca itself is fairly neutral and has quite a bland flavor, so the slight sweetness of boba comes from the sugar syrup they are soaked in after cooking.

Different Varieties of Boba Pearls

Today, boba pearls come in many different forms instead of just the classic one! On Sharetea's menu, you will find many kinds of excellent toppings, including:

Classic boba pearls
Mini pearls
Popping boba
Crystal boba

Aside from those, there's also even more varieties that you can often hear about, like golden boba or honey boba—the humble yet delicious pearl is the perfect drink-altering medium that carries fun flavors, making each sip more enjoyable than the last!

The Takeaway

Now you know that the black balls found in boba tea are also where the drink gets its name from. Boba pearls, or tapioca pearls (as they're also known) have taken the world by storm since they were invented, and there's no better place to enjoy them than here at Sharetea! Check out our store locator if you've got a hankering and come down for a tasty refreshment!

What Are the Black Balls in Boba?