Popping Boba vs. Tapioca Pearls

Popping boba (or popping pearls) are sweet little bubbles of ‘fruit juice’ with a very thin skin that are slippery and easily pop in your mouth. The outer part is a gel layer that is made of seaweed extract. There are many different flavors of popping boba such as lychee, strawberry, mango, passion fruit, orange, apple, etc. These bobas can be a topping on many sweet treats such as tea, frozen yogurt, shaved ice, ice cream, etc.

As many can get these two confused, tapioca pearls are very different. Tapioca pearls are small and very chewy that come in a deep brown color. They are made from cassava roots that are boiled with starch, water, honey, and brown sugar to get the dark color of the tapioca pearls. Tapioca pearls can also be made with different flavorings to be fruity, or have a flavor that you like. These are used as a topping for tea, or other desserts. Some other toppings on bubble tea include jelly cubes, or taro balls made from taro root. 1