Boba 101: How to Cook Tapioca Pearls

Kristin McCoy-Ward
Nov 8, 2020
4 min read

Updated: Oct 21

Ever wondered how bubble tea shop-quality boba is made? I will show you how to pick the right pearls, how to cook them in volume, how to sweeten and hold them for service, and how to avoid the common mistakes that ruin texture. If you want the same chew you love at your boba shop or cafe, this is your guide (or you can watch the video tutorial here instead).

Smiling woman holds boba pearls in a kitchen with a blue background. Text: "Kristin Bubble Tea Expert," "BOBA aka TAPIOCA PEARL."

Boba, also called tapioca pearls, started in Taiwan and grew into a global drink culture. Shops import factory-made pearls in sealed bags, then cook, sweeten, and hold them through the day. The magic is not only the pearls. It is the cook time, water ratio, rinse, and warm sweet soak. Do those steps well and you get perfect chew and gloss every time.

How do we choose the right tapioca pearls?

Restaurant grade pearls are dry, fragile, and turn to powder if you press them hard. This is normal.
Size: I like 8.5 mm. It slides through standard wide straws and gives a satisfying bite.
Cook time on the bag: If the label says 15 to 45 minutes you likely have restaurant grade. If it says 2 to 5 minutes, that is quick-cook. Quick-cook is convenient but often more jelly-like and less complex in flavour.
Storage: After opening a 3 kg bag, move pearls into airtight containers right away. Keep dry. Use within about 30 days for best quality.

Equipment I use in shops

Large rice cooker or stock pot
Heavy spatula for stirring
Sieve for rinsing
Insulated container or spare rice cooker for keeping boba warm
Gloves for hot transfers

Ratios and timings that work

There are two good baselines. Pick the one that fits your setup.

Standard ratio

1 part dry pearls : 5 parts water
Bring water to a rolling boil before pearls go in.

Shop example from my video

700 g pearls : 6 Litres water
Cook 30-minutes at a boil, then rest 15-minutes with the heat off.
This works beautifully in a large rice cooker and scales through the day.

Sweet soak for 700 g cooked pearls

4 oz longan honey syrup
1 cup light to medium brown sugar
500 ml hot water
Stir to dissolve. This keeps the boba glossy, lightly sticky, and sweet through service.

How to make a Large batch for a shop

Boil the water: Fill the inside pot of the rice cooker with the measured water. Bring to a strong rolling boil.
Add pearls in a "rain": Sprinkle pearls across the surface so they do not clump. Stir to free any that settle on the bottom.
Cook: Set a 30-minute timer. Keep at a lively boil. Stir at least once midway. Scrape the base so nothing sticks.
Rest: Turn heat off. Rest 15-minutes in the hot water. This sets the centre and evens the chew.
Rinse: Pour pearls into a large sieve. Rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. This stops the cooking and removes starch.
Sweeten: Mix the longan honey, brown sugar, and hot water. Add pearls to this syrup and stir. They will soak up the sweetness in about 15-minutes.
Hold warm: Move to an insulated container or keep in an idle rice cooker with the lid closed. In cold shops, pulse the warm setting for 5 to 10 minutes only when the pearls feel cool to the touch. Do not re-cook.
Service window: Use within 4-hours of the sweet soak for the best texture and flavour. After four hours the bite drops off.

Important: Always make fresh syrup for a fresh batch. Do not pour new pearls into old syrup. The old syrup is already diluted and will not sweeten properly.

Here's how to make Small batch, just enough for you to have at home

Makes pearls for 2 to 3 drinks

1 cup water per 2 to 3 tbsp dry pearls is a safe start. More water is fine.
Boil water. "Rain" in pearls.
Cook for 30-minutes, stirring halfway through.
Rest for 15-minutes off heat.
Rinse under cold water until it runs clear.
Toss in a quick syrup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp hot water
- 1 tsp honey or longan honey syrup
Rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Things to always remember

Perfect boba has a soft outer layer with a springy centre. Glossy. Sweet all the way through.
If too firm, cook a little longer or rest longer.
If too mushy, then the water was too low or boba was held warm too long.
Clumping pearls mean they were dumped in one spot or not stirred early.
Keep dry pearls airtight and away from moisture.
Cooked pearls are a delicate same-day item. Do not refrigerate in drinks overnight. They turn hard and become swollen by morning.
In cold shops, you can keep the cooked pearls in a small rice cooker or soup warmer, but only "warm them" occasionally; do not keep it on or the boba will become too mushy like marshmallows.