Yes! Black, white, and translucent variations of boba pearls are possible. However, they might also have flavors that contribute to the taste of the bubble tea.
The fruit juice pearls known as "popping boba" that burst in the mouth are also available at many bubble tea shops as well as jelly cubes.
These pearls can be used in bubble teas as well as in many desserts as toppings.
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TAPIOCA
PEARLS
Tapioca pearls (a.k.a. black pearls) are the most commonly known type of pearls. These are also the original pearls that were used in first bubble tea drinks.
They are formed of refined starch taken from cassava roots -tapioca flour- which is partially boiled. In its unprocessed form, boba is often flavorless and gluten-free. Both hot and cold drinks can contain this chewy ingredient.
To make tapioca pearls sweet and chewy, they are frequently dipped in sugar syrup.
POPPING
PEARLS
Popping pearls are tiny juice balls that have gained popularity over the past few years. They are also known as Popping Boba.
They are loaded with fruit juice and slightly smaller than typical tapioca pearls. They pop as you bite into it revealing the juicy flavored liquid inside.
They are made from fruit juice. The tiny juice spheres have an outside gel covering that is produced by the spherification process. You first dissolve sodium alginate in juice, then you dissolve calcium chloride in water to carry out this chemical reaction. Next, a drip of the juice solution is added to the calcium solution. A membrane that encloses the juice is formed when the sodium alginate gels due to the calcium chloride. Despite being the result of a chemical process, they have no negative effects on human health.
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JELLY
CUBES
Against common assumption, they are not formed of gelatin. They are actually made from coconut meat, also known as konjar, a byproduct of the vegetable industry.
They have been used for a very long time in numerous Asian desserts and snacks. Recently, they are used as an alternative to tapioca pearls to maintain the chewability with more flavor options.