What Are Tapioca Pearls?

Before answering the question of what exactly tapioca pearls are, it’s perhaps best to understand what tapioca is. So what is tapioca? Tapioca is the name given to the starchy extract from the cassava root, a root vegetable with an appearance similar to a sweet potato. This extract can be shaped into balls of varying sizes, giving you so-called tapioca pearls.

(A quick note: Tapioca pearls, tapioca balls and boba are all interchangeable names for this sphere-shaped preparation of tapioca.)

While it’s easy to assume tapioca pearls are sought after for their delicious taste, it’s actually their unique, chewy texture that has driven their rise in popularity. More specifically, tapioca pearls are commonly found in tea, pudding and other types of dessert.