In this video, Duff runs through three bubble tea toppings that give you a change from the usual tapioca pearls, without losing any of the fun texture.
In this video:
What are some lighter alternatives to tapioca pearls?
Taro balls
Taro balls are made from taro (and often sweet potato) formed into small chewy pieces, similar in texture to mochi. Sunwide's frozen taro balls come in Big and Small sizes, and in Taro, Sweet Potato, Purple Sweet Potato and Mixed flavours, so there's a size and colour to suit most menus.
Coconut jelly
Coconut jelly (nata de coco) is made from fermented coconut water, giving it a light, slightly bouncy bite. It's one of Sunwide's most popular toppings, sold in eight flavours including Original, Mango, Lychee and Strawberry, and it moves fast enough that it's a mainstay of most stores' stock.
Agar pearls
Agar pearls are a ready-to-eat alternative to tapioca pearls made from agar rather than starch, so there's no cooking involved. They hold their shape rather than bursting, and come in five flavours: Original, Brown Sugar, Lychee, Mango and Sakura Pink. Because they're plant-based and pre-cooked, they're a handy topping to keep stocked for a quick swap when tapioca pearls have run out.
Do these toppings taste different from tapioca pearls?
All three keep the chewy, textural appeal that makes bubble tea toppings fun to drink, just with a different base ingredient. Taro balls have a softer, more mochi-like bite, coconut jelly is firmer and slightly springy, and agar pearls sit somewhere in between, holding their shape well through a jumbo straw. Which one works best usually comes down to what flavour and texture suits the drink they're going into.
