Tapioca pearls are the "soul" of bubble tea; 
without tapioca pearls, bubble tea does not seem to be bubble tea. 
-- Bruce&Clark Bubble Tea Schema

Sections:
i.	What's in a name? Call them Texture
ii.	The Nature of Tapioca Pearls
iii.	Beyond Name and Nature: How to Cook and Keep Them

Copyright © 2007 Bruce&Clark Bubble Tea

i.
WHAT'S IN A NAME? CALL THEM TEXTURE


When our staff of sales and marketing reps sat down a few years back and discussed how to market bubble tea effectively in North America, we were slightly stumped.

Bubble tea at that time was (and is) hugely popular in Taiwan and was (and is) catching up in other parts of Asia. Unfortunately, it was not as well-known in the United States, except in areas where there is a significant Asian-American population to support the drink. Part of the reason for the relative non-exposure of the product can of course be attributed to the nature of trade and  "development," or the uneven rate at which favourable trade winds blow.

(After all, have you not wondered why in some parts of the world, people still look like they did in the 70s?)

But issues of globalization aside, we have concluded, during these marketing jam sessions, that part of the reason for the slow, too-slow development of the bubble tea market in the United States and North America, is also the nature of tapioca pearls. Specifically,  it seems that tapioca pearls have gotten a bad reputation among North Americans who grew up with the dreaded tapioca pudding.

Asians, on the other hand, seem more comfortable and familiar with tapioca. Tapioca pearls, of various sizes, are key ingredients in a lot of Asian desserts, from Malaysian dessert ice bowls to the Filipino schoolkid favorite drink of "sago gulaman," where small tapioca pearls and black grass jelly are added to a mixture of sweetened water. To this drink evaporated or condensed milk is sometimes added, a beverage we can perhaps figure as a precursor of bubble tea and definitely a sign of good things to come.

We sat there thinking of how to present tapioca pearls in a more flattering light. We sat there looking and we had to admit that we understand why some people would have some resistance to tapioca pearls -- the black tapioca pearls, especially, because they look like, as many have commented, "frog's eyes" or "fish eyes." We of course didn't see the tapioca pearls as any sort of optical instrument for our amphibious friends. When we look at tapioca pearls, we see black, gleaming balls of delicious chewing fun. Some have even called the look of freshly-cooked black tapioca pearls "seductive" -- we wouldn't say that, but hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

So we were back to square one. Finally, we went back to "sago gulaman," and thought about how those two elements function in that one drink -- and eureka! Although perhaps not as sexy and seductive as another name, the Bruce&Clark sales and marketing reps have decided to christen and categorize tapioca pearls as "texture components."

Tapioca pearls (or coconut jelly or gulaman) provide textural difference to the drink.

Instead of just taking down liquid, the beverage drinker now has something to chew on -- and the result is one interesting beverage experience.

next section: The Nature of Tapioca Pearls »

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ii.
THE NATURE OF TAPIOCA PEARLS


What's in a name? Or rather, what's in a category? We hope that calling tapioca pearls "texture components" at least gives an indication of the function of tapioca pearls sitting at the bottom of the drink. They're there to provide fun, chewy fun, to the resulting beverage; according to bubble tea aficionados, once you've had a drink with texture components in it, drinks without them seem to lack interest and character.

So now, what's beyond the name? Well, tapioca pearls are made mostly from tapioca starch, processed from the bitter-cassava plant, sometimes called manioca or yuca in some parts of the world. The bitter-cassava plant is native to South America and was introduced into Asia sometime during the 19th century where it was quickly adopted as a staple food in many different cultures (perhaps explaining why Asians seem to be more favourably disposed to tapioca). The bitter-cassava plant -- and the starch it produces -- has been an all-purpose, all around useful plant. When not being made into tapioca pearls, it is used for other industrial purposes, such as textiles and other manufacturing.

Because the nature of tapioca pearls is starch, there are certain things that happen to tapioca pearls and, as a consequence, certain guidelines that we have to follow when dealing with tapioca pearls. We won't really deal with the hard science involved in cooking tapioca pearls, as that would not be very useful for us (that would also be for chemists and our food technicians to handle). We'll deal with practical issues that are involved when making these texture components for bubble tea.

next section: Beyond Name and Nature: How to Cook and Keep Them »

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iii.
BEYOND NAME AND NATURE:
HOW TO COOK AND KEEP TAPIOCA PEARLS


Practical Guide to Tapioca Pearls


First, tapioca pearls are unusually sensitive to changes in heat and humidity around them.

It is normal for tapioca pearls to sweat inside its bag when it has been exposed to temperature changes. As long as there is no mold on the tapioca pearls, they are still good. The shelf life of raw tapioca pearls tend to be shorter than semi-cooked tapioca pearls, about 6 months versus 8 months.


Second, tapioca pearls have to be well-cooked to maintain its soft and chewy texture longer.

Even though the cooking time for tapioca pearls is actually 20 minutes (plus another 20 minutes for sitting), we usually suggest cooking them a little bit longer than 20 minutes. For the raw tapioca pearls, cook them for about 45 minutes (then let sit for another 20 minutes); for the semi-cooked tapioca pearls, cook them for approximately 30 minutes (then let sit for another 20 minutes).

The way one can tell whether they've been cooked enough is to bite into one tapioca pearl. When the pearl gives no resistance and is soft to the center, then it is done. When the pearl still retains some starch in the center, then it needs to be cooked for more time. For recipe, please click here.


Third, after cooking, when placed in water, tapioca pearls will turn hard and then finally become too soft and mushy. This is the nature of starch.

The way to slow down the process is by cooking the tapioca pearls well (see #2 point) -- but the process is inevitable, and there is no way we can reverse this process. Nature of starch.


Fourth, because bubble teas are usually served cold and tapioca pearls are added to a cold drink, it happens that tapioca pearls turn hard in the drink quite fast.

Cooking the tapioca pearls well will help a bit, as well as not leaving the tapioca pearls sitting out too long after cooking. If serving tapioca pearls for a commercial purpose, we do not recommend keeping the tapioca pearls overnight. Generally, the tapioca pearls are only good for the day. We also recommend cooking them in small batches, only enough for about 4 to 6 hours, as this is when the tapioca pearls will be at their optimum condition.


Fifth, it is important that the cooked tapioca pearls be well-kept.

Once tapioca pearls have finished cooking, they should be put in a sugar syrup solution and stirred every hour to prevent lumping. Again, lumping is part of the nature of starch, and there is no way we can fight this natural tendency. For the sugar syrup solution, it will be better if a little honey is added to the mixture. Honey will form a coating around the tapioca pearls and protect them better.


Sixth, it is imperative that the tapioca pearls be of the highest quality possible.

Lower quality tapioca pearls are cheaper, but in the long run, a bubble teashop will end up paying more eventually in lost sales and revenues.

We hope you enjoyed our THE NATURE OF TAPIOCA PEARLS series.
Copyright © 2007 Bruce&Clark Bubble Tea

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