We tried 13 of the best tapioca pearls brands recommended by our readers and the highest-reviewed brands on Amazon in the UK and US to create our list below.
We’ve always been solid fans of WuFuYuan’s classic instant pearls when we’re feeling lazy about making tapioca pearls from scratch. However, picking the best tapioca pearls brand to make homemade bubble tea will depend on your taste and texture of the boba balls. Not to mention the ease of preparation.
So, don't worry about paralysis by analysis. We at Honest Food Talks have reviewed and compared the top tapioca pearls brand available online. Here’s our favourites.
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E-Fa or YuanZhen
First on our list are these tapioca pearls produced by E-Fa, which we've spotted some local bubble tea shops use. They were awarded the US National Best Taste Award Winner for high quality from 2002 to 2004.
They're very similar to WuFuYuan in terms of taste and texture. An equivalent brand to E-Fa in the UK is YuanZhen which are a dupe of WuFuYuan.
They come in a vacuum-packed package to keep them fresh and can be ready for drinking as little as five minutes after opening it up. If you get a 2.2-pound bag of this bubble tea powder, that's enough for several rounds of making your favourite drink.
So, if you're a regular boba drinker at home, we recommend buying these over the smaller WuFuYuan packs. You'll get better value in bulk. However, ensure you have enough pantry space and a vacuum seal container to keep the pearls dry.
WuFuYuan “Black Sugar”
Many of our readers love WuFuYuan's "Black sugar" tapioca pearls—and for good reason, too. Due to its fantastic taste and texture, the "Black Sugar" flavour is a popular contender among the best tapioca pearls brands on Amazon.
Black Sugar has a sweeter flavour than the classic flavour from the same brand, but the difference is subtle. Some of our readers have mentioned that they like coating them with simple syrup or honey to add more sweetness. Nevertheless, we think this is a great option if you prefer your boba sweeter.
However, perhaps the best thing about this brand is that it cooks fast. You can perfectly prepare tapioca toppings for your homemade bubble tea in under 2 minutes. You only need to microwave them or brew them for 2 minutes.
Compared to their regular packs, we felt it softened much faster. So, for our impatient boba lovers, this is the one for you.
WuFuYuan "Black Sugar"
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However, we think the texture is not as nice as the regular WuFuYuan ones. So, patience is rewarded for those willing to brew and steep the tapioca pearls for longer to get a nice, bouncy and chewy QQ texture.
Would you agree that WuFuYuan is one of Amazon's best tapioca pearls brands for bubble tea homemaking? Give it a go, and let us know in the comments.
BBT Club
Bubble Tea "BBT" Club is an up-and-coming boba brand that specialises in providing the best bubble tea home kits. They provide all that you need—tea leaves, flavoured syrups, and toppings—to make the perfect cup at home.
BBT Club Tapioca Pearls
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Many of their customers claim that BBT Club is the best tapioca pearls brand out there today. Their boba balls retain the same level of freshness you would get when you order them at bubble tea shops. You just need to follow the recipe attached to their packaging to cook them to perfection at home.
Another reason we recommend going with BBT is the fact their online shop is a one-stop shop for everything bubble tea! You can get all the ingredients sent to your doorstep without having to source from other online marketplaces.
Although they hail originally from Australia, they ship their bubble tea products to many other countries, including the US and Canada.
Boba Green
Boba Green is the next contender on our list of the best tapioca pearls brands. They are a New York-based Bubble Tea company with the mission of making the bubble tea-drinking population more environmentally friendly. Apart from making plastic-free bubble tea home kits, they also offer some great tapioca boba.
Boba Green's Make-at-home Boba
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Their tapioca pearls are Grade-A type boba, which means they are of the highest quality in the US. One pack of Boba Green's tapioca toppings is 14 oz, which is enough to serve 8 cups of bubble tea. Moreover, their packaging is plastic-free (and guilt-free).
If you're looking to purchase great-tasting and environmentally-friendly boba, then we recommend going with Boba Green. They offer many other toppings and bubble tea essentials too on their official site, so do check them out.
Classic WuFuYuan
In comparison to the black sugar version above, WuFuYuan's classic tapioca pearls are one of our favourites and what many of our readers consider the best tapioca pearls brand today.
Its subtle sweetness is not overpowering, allowing us to taste the natural flavour of tapioca. In terms of texture, we find this one to be the best among the instant pearl brands.
Classic WuFuYuan
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We recommend adding a small amount of brown sugar to the pearls during cooking. This addition makes them chewier and softer, with a hint of sweetness. For those who prefer more chewing action in the bubble tea experience, we recommend getting this one.
These gourmet and gluten-free tapioca pellets are easy to prepare. It only takes five minutes to cook and prepare for your bubble tea time.
Bolle
Bolle is next on our best tapioca pearls brand list. The Bolle boba is similar to the traditional ones you would find in Taiwan. They take a bit longer to cook than other brands on this list, but they're worth it because of their quality and authenticity.
Bolle 'Premium'
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These tapioca pearls are almost all-natural, made from cassava root starch, water, with no additional preservatives or gums. They're infused with caramel and pure maple syrup flavour making their taste profile to be very close to the original Boba made in Taiwan.
This top tapioca pearls brand are also gluten-free which makes them even more appealing to anyone who is on a restricted diet for health purposes.
If preparing these Bolle tapioca pearls, you need to let them cook in boiling hot water for about 30 minutes. Unlike fast-cooking boba, a longer time is required to thoroughly cook and produce their chewy texture.
However, be careful not to immerse them in cold water. These traditional boba start to lose their shape if left in cold water.
Tea Zone “Popping Pearls”
Are you lazy to cook your tapioca boba? However, do you still want the best boba pearls flavours bursting in your mouth when sipping away your bubble tea? Then, get some popping pearls by Tea Zone!
Tea Zone "Popping" Boba
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Although they are slightly unconventionally, we decided to include Tea Zone’s popping boba in our list of the best tapioca pearl brands. These pearls literally ‘pop’ in your mouth as you chew into them. Moreover, they are filled with fruity flavours such as lychee, peach, mango etc. that adds to the flavour of your drink.
This popping boba has a long life shelf, so you don’t have to worry about finishing them soon. You can store them in your fridge or freeze them for even longer use.
However, be forewarned that this popping boba is made of seaweed and is closer in texture to agar-based crystal boba. If you are looking to get the conventional tapioca pearls added to your bubble tea, then we recommend getting another type.
WuFuYuan “Rainbow”
Even though the brand calls this style their rainbow tapioca pearl, there are only 5 colours inside. The coloured pearls inside are white, red, orange, yellow and green. We would say that about 70% of the pearls you get are white.
In terms of taste, you get less of that caramel-like sweetness from the black sugar and their classic versions. It has a more neutral sweetness akin to white sugar.
WuFuYuan "Rainbow" Coloured
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Nonetheless, the colourful rainbow tapioca balls will spruce up and add delight to your bubble tea. It's a great way to please any guests without spending the time to make your own coloured tapioca balls.
They're great for birthdays, Halloween, other holidays, and any special occasion where you want to surprise your party-goers with an unusual treat.
Similarly, these rainbow-coloured tapioca pearls can be prepared in just 5 minutes and taste just as awesome as other top tapioca pearls brands.
See Smell Taste
Although tapioca boba is now made renowned due to its association with bubble tea, these pearly treats have been part of many Asian dessert recipes. We recommend getting this brand when you're looking to make a delicious tapioca pudding.
See Smell Taste Pearls
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They are made of 100% pure, natural ingredients with zero colours or preservatives added. The fresh-packed Thailand product is bold in taste after preparation, too, making it deserve a spot in this best tapioca pearls brand list.
Rather than cooking the boba in boiling water, you prepare this dessert boba by soaking it in milk or water. Which one you choose will depend on your taste. They are smaller and have a very soft texture, making them perfect for desserts like egg pudding.
Hoosier Hill Farm
Hoosier Hill Farm is another top tapioca pearls brand that we recommend for making desserts like bubur cha cha. These pearls are processed in the US using cassava roots imported from Brazil.
Also known as sago in Southeast Asia or sabudana in the Indian region, this style of tapioca balls is smaller and softer than the boba pearls and is typically used for desserts.
Hoosier Hill Farm
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They are usually used to make desserts and are not conventionally used in boba drinks. However, that does not mean you should not be creative and experiment with them. They are bigger than the See Smell Taste brand ones but not as big as the chewier black tapioca pearl counterparts.
These tapioca pearls are made out of natural ingredients without any preservatives. If you're looking for medium-sized ones to use in your desserts, then look no further and order a pack of Hoosier Hill Farm tapioca pearls.
Best Tapioca Pearls Brands
With so many excellent varieties to choose from, here is our list of the bubble tea pearl brands that we recommend you try:
- E-Fa Black Pearls
- YuanZhen
- WuFuYuan “Black Sugar”
- BBT Club
- Boba Green
- Classic WuFuYuan
- Bolle
- Tea Zone "Popping Pearls"
- WuFuYuan "Rainbow"
- See Smell Taste
- Hoosier Hill Farm
Is there a brand that you love but is not on our list? Help us expand our list by sharing with us at contact@honestfoodtalks.com!
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