Tapioca is an ingredient that has been gaining popularity worldwide thanks to its versatility in the kitchen and especially for its presence in drinks with tapioca pearls. From delicious desserts to the popular bubble tea, tapioca provides us with a fun and unique culinary experience. If you're not familiar with tapioca or want to know more about this ingredient, keep reading and explore everything about tapioca, from its origin to the various ways you can enjoy it.
What is tapioca?
Tapioca is a starch extracted from the cassava root, also known as yuca. Originating in South America, cassava is a tuber grown in tropical and subtropical regions. Likewise, cassava is an important source of carbohydrates in many parts of the world, and being rich in starch, it is used in a variety of traditional dishes in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
How is tapioca extracted?
The process of extracting tapioca involves washing and peeling the cassava, before grating it and then squeezing out the liquid that contains the starch. This liquid is left to settle until the starch settles at the bottom, forming a paste that is dried and transformed into different forms of tapioca such as tapioca pearls, tapioca flour, or even tapioca flakes.
Why are tapioca pearls called "boba"?
The word “boba” comes from the Chinese language and is a combination of “bubble” and “big,” used to refer to the large tapioca pearls. In Taiwanese culture, “boba” is slang that refers to something large, and in this context, it refers to tapioca pearls. Remember that bubble tea originated in Taiwan, and if you don't know that story, we recommend reading our blog “Bubble Tea: The Asian Drink That's Conquering the World.”
Types of tapioca
As previously seen, in the process of extracting tapioca, this ingredient can be obtained in different forms such as tapioca flour, which is ideal for use as a thickener in sauces and soups or for baking gluten-free bread and cakes, tapioca flakes, which are less common but also useful in cooking, and tapioca pearls that you can commonly find in desserts and drinks like bubble tea.
But you can also find black tapioca pearls and white tapioca pearls. Black tapioca pearls are the easiest and most common to find, but the difference with white tapioca pearls is that black tapioca pearls are dyed due to the addition of sugar syrup.
What does tapioca taste like?
Tapioca itself has a neutral flavor, which makes it a very versatile ingredient in the kitchen. Its texture is soft and chewy, especially when cooked as pearls in bubble tea. The neutral flavor of tapioca allows it to absorb the flavors of other ingredients with which it is combined, making each dish or drink where it is used unique.
Where can you get tapioca?
If you are also interested in getting tapioca to add to your desserts or drinks, you can easily find tapioca at the Cassava Roots online store, where in addition to buying your tapioca, you can find other toppings like popping boba and jellies, as well as powders and teas of the delicious flavors of Cassava Roots so you can also prepare your bubble tea from home. If you want to see what else you can find in the Cassava Store, you can visit it at the following link: https://store.cassavaroots.com/
Tapioca in desserts and drinks
At Cassava Roots, tapioca pearls are a star ingredient, as you will find them in traditional bubble tea and even in desserts like cake boba. If you have never tried tapioca pearls, here are some recommendations for bubble teas and snacks from Cassava Roots that you must try:
- Taro Bubble Tea: This iconic bubble tea made from a purple root with an indescribable flavor accompanied by tapioca pearls will delight your palate.
- Chinese Lychee Bubble Tea: Brought from the farthest corner of ancient China, cultivated by Buddhist monks. The combination of tapioca pearls with the flavor of lychee will simply make you want more.
- Berry Bubble Tea: Blueberry, cranberry, strawberry, blackberry, and tapioca pearls, refreshing and delicious.
- COOKIES N’ CREAM Bubble Tea: Can you imagine the combination of tapioca pearls with a delicious COOKIES N’ CREAM flavor? Cookie-like, creamy, chocolaty, you couldn't ask for anything richer.
- GEISHA EXPLOSION Bubble Tea: Coffee + Coffee + Coffee + Tapioca Pearls = A combination for those who love coffee and want a wake-up call.
- Cake boba: A delicious snack to accompany your bubble tea that you can find in Taro, Royal, or Matcha flavors topped with tasty tapioca pearls.
Toppings for your bubble tea
At Cassava Roots, in addition to adding tapioca pearls to your bubble tea, you can customize your drink with a variety of toppings, and here they are:
- Extra tapioca: Because there's never enough tapioca.
- Popping boba blueberry: Small blueberry-flavored pearls that will give you an explosion of flavor.
- Popping boba lychee: Explosive pearls with the delicious lychee flavor that will make your bubble tea unique.
- Popping boba strawberry: Accompany your bubble tea with tasty strawberry-flavored boba.
- Coffee jelly: If you are a fan of the coffee flavor, these jellies are perfect for you.
- Strawberry jelly: Add a touch of strawberry flavor to your bubble tea with our strawberry jelly.
- Lychee jelly: For lychee fans, add this jelly to your bubble tea.
As you can see, tapioca is much more than a simple ingredient. Its versatility makes it a culinary treasure that you must try, whether in your bubble tea or in a delicious dessert, tapioca will give you a unique experience, so get ready to discover everything Cassava Roots has to offer and enjoy the wonders of tapioca.
