Boba tea is so expensive where I live, and I just don't get it. Sago is cheap, while tapioca isn't, which is baffling since they're somewhat similar, even though they come from different plants. I'm a huge Boba Tea fan and I realised the best way to drink Bubble Tea whenever I want, is to make them at home. This includes making Boba Tea Pearls at home too.
I'm on a Nara Smith mission these days, trying to make everything from scratch and I made Boba - not 'Bobba' - using Tapioca Flour. Yes, not Starch. And another batch using Corn Starch.
Here's what I learnt.
Origins of Boba Pearls
As many know, Boba originated in Taiwan in the 1980s in a tea shop called Chun Shui Tang, Liu Han-Chieh, later it was found in many tea shops across the country. Next, this unique beverage made its way to China where it gained more popularity. Authentic Boba Tea Pearls are made of Tapioca Starch, but nowadays a lot of popping boba flavours are available.
Is Boba Halal?
Yes, bubble tea is halal and a very simple drink. You know exactly what goes into your body. Boba tea pearls are made of Tapioca, Sugar, Food colouring and Water. Boba tea can be made vegan as well by opting out milk for a substitute plant-based milk or non-milk tea.
Is Boba Chinese or Japanese?
Boba is a Taiwanese beverage and it is very much ethnically linked. The founders of
Hanlin Tea Room in Tainan, founded by Tu Tsong He got inspiration from a childhood snack from Taiwan called Tapioca Balls. By deciding to add these Tapioca Balls to green tea, he created the famous Boba Tea. But Boba is also a beloved beverage in China.
Two of the best Boba Milk Tea flavours I've tried are Taiwanese Jasmine Milk Tea and Chinese Creme Brule Tea.
Can you make Boba Tea Pearls using Tapioca Flour?
Yes. I saw many recipes using Tapioca Starch, but you can make Boba Pearls using Tapioca Flour. I was nervous the first time using Tapioca Flour, but they came out pretty fine. Only the chewiness was lacking. This is because the Flour contains fibres and other nutrients that make the powder's consistency more dense, whereas the Starch is just empty carbs so it's super chewy and has no taste.
Which is healthier, Tapioca Flour or Tapioca Starch for Boba?
The traditional boba pearl ingredient is Tapioca Starch as it gives a very chewy texture and the boba itself is tasteless, so it doesn't affect the flavour of the tea. But if you're looking for a healthier option, I recommend using Tapioca Flour as it has fibres and other nutritional benefits. You can follow the same recipe measurements that use Tapioca Starch for your Flour boba, it practically has no other difference.
Can you make Boba Pearls using Cornstarch or Corn Flour?
Yes, you can but it does not taste good. I made Boba pearls using Corn Starch and it was quite grainy and has a strong paracetamol flavour. It's not chewy and it tastes like pudding balls. Some people might like it, but it did not sit well with me. You can make Boba using both Corn Starch and Corn Flour, following the same recipe for a Tapioca Starch boba. Just make sure that you don't overcook your Cornstarch pearls, some of mine dissolved.
What does Tapioca Flour Boba taste like?
Tapioca Flour Boba tastes almost identical to Tapioca Starch boba but it does have a slight cassava flavour and is less chewy. Tapioca Starch boba is completely tasteless and it compliments any beverage it's added to. This is why Tapioca Starch is the preferred ingredient for Boba Pearls.
Which is a better substitute for Tapioca Starch when making Boba Tea?
Tapioca Flour is a better substitute for Tapioca Starch than Corn Starch. Here's how different types of flour make Boba pearls:
Corn Starch / Flour Pearls: Grainy, not transparent, not chewy. Has a strong medicinal smell.
Tapioca Starch: The authentic Boba Pearl ingredient, chewy, transparent, and flavourless. Difficult to source outside of Asia.
A lot of homemade boba pearls are Cornstarch pearls. While Tapioca Starch is somewhat expensive, buying Cassava root is much cheaper, and there's a relatively easy way to make starch. If you're a boba tea lover like me, you can actually give this a try.
Before getting into that step, I thought I could make Tapioca Starch from Tapioca Flour. I reached out to my beloved Google, and couldn't find any information. Here's what I learnt from my experience.
Can you make Tapioca Starch using Tapioca Flour?
No. I learnt from a grave mistake. I looked at how you can make Tapioca Starch from scratch and followed the final step of mixing water with the flour and letting the starch settle at the bottom of the bowl. Little did I know that both the flour and starch layered at the bottom holding onto each other.
When I drained the water I kind of couldn't figure out the difference between the flour fibres and the starch and ended up draining half of the paste.
So no, you cannot make Tapioca Starch using flour because the flour particles are tiny and very similar to the starch particles. It really doesn't make sense to do it also.
Best Tapioca Flour Brown Sugar Boba Tea Pearl Recipe
All the recipes you find online for Tapioca Starch can be used for Tapioca Flour or Corn Starch Boba Pearls. Here's the classic recipe I used.
Ingredients:
1 Cup Tapioca Flour
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Water
Black or Brown Food Colouring
Method:
Add the sugar and water to a pan and cook under medium flame until the sugar is melted.
Add a drop of food colouring and mix
Tapioca Pearls without Food Colouring Add about 2 to 3 Tablespoons of Tapioca Flour and mix until it becomes pasty.
Add the rest of the Tapioca Flour and mix into a dough (About 2 Minutes)
Take the dough off the heat, roll it into a thin tube and cut it into small cubes (less than 0.5 cm)
Roll them into balls and put them in a pot of water. Leave it to boil for about 10 minutes until the boba pearls start floating.
Take the pearls off the heat and add them to a cold water bowl.
Heat a pan and add equal parts brown sugar and water and a drop of food colouring and let the sugar melt. When the mixture is thickening, add the Boba Pearls, take off the heat and mix well. Your pearls are ready!
How do I Make my Tapioca Boba Tea Pearls Dark?
If you don't have black or brown food colouring, you can use cocoa powder or any type of honey or a bit of molasses to get the colour. The best way I recommend is by caramelizing the sugar and adding cocoa powder, but still, it's not enough to make the entire dough dark brown. My first few attempts without food dye resulted in pale cream boba pearls.
You've got to add black or brown food colouring to make your boba pearls dark.
What's the most difficult Step in making Boba Pearls?
Sourcing Tapioca Starch is a huge challenge, but I would say the most difficult step in making Boba Pearls is achieving the right size of the pearl. I've made countless mistakes making huge pearls and eventually eating them with a spoon cause the straws aren't big enough.
Keep the pearl size under 0.5 cm. A simple way to measure is by comparing it to the opening of your straw
Can you make Fruit Boba with Tapioca Flour?
Yes, you can make fruit Boba Pearls just like regular pearls with Tapioca Flour. You just need to reduce the sugar and add in the puree of your choice of fruit. the rest of the process is the same.
Conclusion:
So there you go, all you need to know about making boba pearls using Tapioca Flour or Corn Starch. To put it in summary, yes you can make boba pearls using Tapioca Flour, but the taste and texture are slightly different from pearls made from Tapioca Starch. But if you're looking for a better substitute for Tapioca Starch, it would definitely be Tapioca Flour, not Corn Starch.
Planning to make Boba Pearls? Let us know how it goes in the comments below!