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Bubble tea is made from tapioca pearls
These small, round balls are produced from the starch extracted from the cassava root. There is something special about the chewy of tapioca pearls. That’s the texture that makes bubble tea so fun to drink! But what happens to Amber Tapioca Boba pearls as they cook to keep their shape? Let's find out more about it
The initial step when making tapioca pearls or boba from scratch is to soak them in water
This is crucial for when you do slowly push them once in the pot, they will become tender and plump up. Dry tapioca pearls are hard and crunchy in texture. Advertisment: After a few hours IN WATER, they soften and can be chewy. This is because water gets absorbed by the starch inside the pearls and swells up. Soaking also serves to facilitate even cooking of the pearls later
Once your tapioca pearls have been soaked, they are ready to be put to boil. Boiling the pearls is what infuses them with their characteristic chew. The secret to nailing that ideal chewy-texture sweet spot is cooking the pearls for the right time. They can also be prone to breaking apart or turning mushy if you over cook them. But if you under cook them, they could still be tough in the center. “As long as you respect the cookery and follow the instructions, you’re going to love it
Once you have the pearls cooked, there’s a specific way they need to be stored and manipulated in order to get the right texture. You may keep the pearls moist and chewy by soaking them in a simple syrup of sugar and water. Every so often give them a little stir so they don’t stick together. When dealing with the bubble tea tapioca pearls, be careful not to crush them. Tapioca balls will keep for a few days in the fridge if you’re properly storing them
There are couple of tips to save your tapioca pearls from turning into mush
First off, make sure you cooked your pearls with the correct water-to-pearls ratio. Too much water and the pearls become too soft, too little and they can scorch. You should also stir the pearls lightly into the water as they cook so that the heat is evenly distributed and they maintain their round shape. Finally, take care not to overcook the pearls as this might make them mushy
The weird texture of the tapioca pearls in bubble tea comes from how they are made
It is made from cassava root, which is extracted and processed into tiny, round pellets. As these tapioca peals cook, the starch molecules absorb the water and expand, resulting in a gelled exterior. This is what provides tapioca pearls with their chewy and slightly gummy texture. The pearls are also mildly sweet, contributing to the taste of the bubble tea.
