Have you ever heard of popping boba? If not, you’re missing out! Popping boba is a fun and unique way to enjoy bubble tea. It’s a delicious treat that has been popping up worldwide.
In this blog post, I’ll look at what exactly popping boba is, why you should try it, and how to make it.
What Is Popping Boba?
Popping boba, also known as bursting boba or popping pearls, are small, colorful balls that are often used in bubble tea and other sweet drinks. They are made from fruit juice or flavored syrup and are sealed inside a thin, transparent shell.
When the balls are added to a drink and bitten into, the juice or syrup inside the shell bursts out, releasing a burst of flavor. Some popular flavors include mango, strawberry, lychee, and coconut.
These little balls of joy can be added to bubble tea drinks, smoothies, yogurt bowls, ice cream sundaes, and other desserts. They can also be eaten on their own as a snack. The unique texture and flavor make them a great addition to any food or beverage!
Why Should You Try Popping Boba?
If you haven’t tried popping boba yet, now is the time! Not only do they taste great, but they also provide an enjoyable tactile experience when you bite into them.
Additionally, they add color and visual appeal to whatever dish they are added to.
For example, adding some popping boba to your bubble tea drink will not only give it an extra burst of flavor but will also make it look extra appealing for Instagram photos!
But enough for “chit-chat,” let’s get to the business and see how to make it yourself!
How To Make Popping Boba
As we now know, popping boba is a type of bubble tea topping made from fruit juice or syrup. Let’s see how you can make popping boba at home.
Ingredients & Tools
To make popping boba at home, you will need the following tools:
- Three clean bowls
- A syringe (without a needle)
- A blender, whisk or spoon for mixing
- A slotted spoon
- Cups and teaspoons for measuring
You’ll need two clean bowls if you can use a blender. You don’t have to use a blender, but I would recommend it for mixing the juice and sodium alginate.
Ingredients you’ll need:
| Fruit Juice or Flavored Syrup | 1 cup / 250 ml |
| Sodium Alginate | 1 teaspoon (1/2 teaspoon) |
| Calcium Lactate | 1 teaspoon |
| Water (distilled) | 2 cups / 500 ml |
| Food Coloring (optional) | A few drops |
With sodium alginate, 1 teaspoon of sodium alginate is usually used, but some might prefer 1/2 teaspoon. We will have a small test during the process, so we will figure out whether to use a half or entire teaspoon.
It will serve 2-4 bubble teas, depending on how much boba you use per bubble tea.
Making Popping Boba
Instructions:
- Mix 1 cup of water and calcium lactate in a clean bowl until calcium lactate is dissolved. Use a whisk if possible. Put it aside when done.
- I recommend using a blender for this step, but a bowl and whisk (or spoon) are also fine. Take the other bowl or blender, and mix the fruit juice or flavored syrup with the sodium alginate until well combined.
- At first, I recommend mixing half a tablespoon of sodium alginate and a cup of juice. Later we’ll see if we need the rest sodium alginate or not.
- Take a new clean bowl and fill it with a cup of clean water.
- Fill the syringe with the juice mixture.
- For testing and practicing purposes, try to drip drop by drop a few bobas into the water and calcium lactate mixture. Let them stay there for a minute.
- Now take the slotted spoon and transfer them to the bowl with clean water.
- Try to squeeze them slightly; they should “bounce” a bit. If they pop easily, you’ll need to add the rest of the sodium alginate into the mixture (it makes boba harder). If they pop when you squeeze harder, it’s all fine, and you can continue.
- Add food coloring if you find it necessary.
- Whether you had to add sodium alginate or not, you should be able to make the rest. Just fill the syringe once it’s empty and drip the mixture drop by drop into the calcium lactate water.
- Carefully remove the popping boba from the calcium lactate water using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a bowl of clean water.
Once popping boba is transferred, they are ready to use in your bubble tea or other drinks. Simply add them to the drink and enjoy the burst of flavor when you bite into them.
Wrapping Up
And that’s it! You now know how to make popping boba.
Hope you enjoyed the recipe as well as your popping boba. If so, you might be interested in my other articles and recipes:
- Read more about popping boba.
- Want to make classic boba pearls?
- Celebrate a national bubble tea day!