When you want extra texture in your desserts or drinks, white tapioca pearls are a great way to get that extra chewy bite without introducing additional flavors. These plain white balls of tapioca starch are ever popular in Asian cuisine, like ginataan bilo bilo, taho, or chè chuối, and this recipe shows you an easier way to cook them.
After testing and cooking out about seven different types and brands of white tapioca pearls, it has become clear there are specific methods that you must use for certain brands of pearls. I’ve boiled this down to a few core cooking methods that should cover all brands, and at the worst case, set you on the right path to figuring it out.
There are brands specifically catered for boba milk tea drinks or Thai tea even, which you should stick to since it’s much easier and will take you less time. However, these are not always brands that you can find in your local Asian grocery store so I included other brands, and how to cook those when you have no other choice.
Yes, if you’re making tapioca pudding, but 30 minutes will do the trick. Your pudding texture just won’t turn out right if you don’t soak the tapioca pearls first.
What are white tapioca pearls?
White tapioca pearls typically have a plain flavor because it’s made of just two ingredients: tapioca starch and water. They are made from mixing both of these ingredients into a dough and rolling them to make balls.
At the grocery store, they come in the form of dried, opaque balls that range from tiny pieces to medium and large balls. The pearls look white and after they’re cooked turn slightly translucent with a chewy opaque center.
The brands I tested
WuFuYuan 3 Minute New Sago: Follow the instructions on the package. Unlike the other pearls I’ve listed below, this white tapioca doesn’t have any additional flavors to it. This was the fastest boba to cook.
All you have to do is boil water, add pearls, let it float and cook covered for two minutes. It’s that fast–no resting or anything! Also, don’t get confused with the name, it’s not actually made with sago starch, but tapioca starch and other additives.
Tea Zone White Tapioca Pearls (Boba): Use the 30 & 30 Cooking Method. This type of boba is the variety that I would use the 30 & 30 method on because they cook fairly easily, you just need a little patience. It’s specifically made to be used in boba tea and contains a “maple flavor” in the ingredients. They do come in large, six pound bags so you should be set for a while.
Bossen White Tapioca Pearls: Use the 30 & 30 Cooking Method. Bossen sells a lot of different types of boba and this is similar to Tea Zone’s white boba too. You can cook it with the 30 & 30 method and it also includes a “brown sugar flavoring” in its ingredients.
The only downside about this bag is that it lists you need to consume the bag within 48 hours of opening–seems a bit intense, but so far they seem okay after a week of opening the bag.
Double Parrot Brand Tapioca Pearl: This brand had no instructions on the packaging, so I started with boiling the pearls and adjusting from there. It took a very long time to finally cook the pearls thoroughly, so I pre-soaked them before cooking. This was the only brand of tapioca pearls that didn’t disintegrate when I soaked them overnight and I believe it helped so much to do this beforehand. I purchased this brand from 99 Ranch and it is made of only tapioca starch and water.
Cock Brand Tapioca Pearl: Use the instructions on the bag, slightly modified. The instructions on the bag call for boiling the pearls for 15 minutes, then resting it overnight, and then boiling for another 20 minutes. I found that the next day, you only need about five minutes (instead of the 20 as instructed on the bag) of boiling before they become soft and chewy.
I couldn’t soak these beforehand because they disintegrated. This brand is made of tapioca starch and water, however, it had an additional sticker saying it also included sulfites, which is a common preservative for tapioca pearls.
White Tapioca Pearls (Sirian Inter. Co. LTD): Use the 30 & 30 Cooking Method. This brand had the least amount of information listed and did not even include an ingredients list. I used the 30 & 30 method to cook these pearls and found that I needed to repeat this process at least two times (that’s two hours+) to get the pearls to cook evenly. Based on the similar size, texture, and structure of the pearls, I am assuming it’s made of pure tapioca starch and water.
Tapioca pearls from Nuts.com: The Nuts.com pearls were quite smaller than the traditional large white tapioca pearl we’re accustomed to even though they were labeled “large.” Where the traditional larger pearls are about 9.5 mm, the Nuts.com pearls were about 5 mm.
Instead of the 30 minute time frame, I adjusted it to 20 minutes since they were smaller in size and it still worked to cook them. If you want mini, white boba, these work well, but they also fit for other desserts that include smaller sized tapioca pearls.
How to cook Tapioca Pearls (Sago) – perfectly chewy and translucent | Life O’Kay
FAQ
How long should you soak tapioca pearls?
Can you just swallow tapioca pearls?
Can you eat dry tapioca pearls?
How do you cook dried tapioca pearls?
To cook dried tapioca pearls, you’ll need to simmer them to rehydrate. The cooking time really depends on how large the pearls are. “For big pearls, you have to cook them at a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour,” advises Chiu. Here’s what to do. Add them to boiling water.
Do you wash tapioca pearls before cooking?
Do NOT wash or rinse tapioca pearls before cooking. They must go from the package directly into boiling water. You must pre-boil the water before adding the tapioca. Do not add them until the water is at a rolling boil. The size of tapioca pearls can vary, and you may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
How long do you boil tapioca pearls?
In a large pot, add 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. When it’s a rolling boil, add tapioca pearls and lower to the medium heat. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. Stir occasionally to prevent the pearls from sticking. After 30 minutes, remove the pot from the stove, cover with lid, and let rest another 30 minutes.
How much water do you need to cook tapioca pearls?
Generally, you should use about 8 cups of water for every 1 cup of tapioca pearls. Boil the water first: It’s important to bring the water to a rolling boil before adding the tapioca pearls. This helps ensure that they cook evenly and don’t stick together.