Are Boba Pearls Vegan-13 Jaw-Dropping Reasons To Make Your Eyes Pop

Have you ever wondered if the chewy boba pearls found in boba are vegan let my blog be the answer to the question “Are boba pearls vegan?” through 13 eye-opening factors that will make you see the pearls in a new avatar.

I am a passionate Tea blogger and apart from blogging run a tea cafe in Kolkata city. Recently, I was asked a question if the pearls can be consumed by vegans and which led me to write this blog. Through my 13 factual points I intent to create an awareness that Boba Pearls Are Indeed Vegan. 

 

Are Boba Pearls Vegan- 13 Provocative Points To Consider

Boba pearls are the chewy element found in bubble tea and it is the reason how bubble tea got its name. While sipping on your bubble tea if you have wondered about the bubbles being vegan let us dwell into my blog and learn the truth through 13 fascinating facts.

1. Ever Considered The Source Of The Chewy Pearls?

Tapioca pearls are derived from the starch of the Cassava plant. Now, before the pearls are given their shape the crop is harvested and later dried.

So, we can safely say that the pearls being sourced from a plant is completely vegan.

2. Let Us Talk About Customizing The Pearls

Tapioca pearls are round & chewy balls that form the core of bubble tea. One can even customize the bubbles & popping boba, crystal boba are some options that are worth considering. 

I have written a blog about 27 yummy substitutes that can be used instead of the pearls. Do give it a read and share your favorite option in the comment section below.

3. Will Excluding Honey Alter The Taste

Honey is a sweetener that is sourced from bees and since vegans don’t consume animal-based products so for them honey is a put-off. Now, options like brown sugar, maple syrup, and fruits are some sweeteners that can be used to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

Also, for your knowledge, I have written a blog about 31 ways by which you can sweeten the pearls. Do read it and check out some awesome ways to achieve the sweetness.

4. Making The Pearls At Home Is No Rocket Science

The pearls can be made at home easily and with pantry staples too. Surprised? Let me take you out of the dilemma.

If you run out of tapioca you can substitute it with cornstarch, potato starch, or rice flour. Then go ahead and just make boba pearls like you always do and enjoy a glass of bubble tea. Oh! don’t forget the straws.

5. Time To Get Familiar With A Close Cousin

We, Indians have been using tapioca pearls for a long time and consider it as a delicacy. Called “Sabudana” in the Indian subcontinent it is smaller in size and unlike boba pearls need prior soaking before they can be used in drinks or foods.

I have always laid stress on one fact and that is, Bubble tea is nothing but, just a jazzed-up version of the humble Falooda(an Indian dessert that is enjoyed with noodles which is further dipped in various sugar syrup and is highly customizable).

6. Did You Know The Pearls Are Gluten-Free

Gluten is a protein that is found in abundance in food items like wheat, rice, barley, and breads. This is what gives food its shape. So, there is no reason to avoid gluten unless of course, one is allergic to it.

Boba pearls are in fact gluten-free and you can easily add them to your drink even if you are gluten intolerant. For me, this is a feather in the cap when it comes to boba pearls being vegan.

7. Seen Colorful Bubbles and Wondering How They Get Their Color?

If you have seen myriad colored bubbles in your boba & wondered how they get their color let me tell you that they are nothing but sugar syrups sourced from fruits and vegetables.

These syrups can be made at home or easily procured from the market. Just allow the pearls to soak some of the syrup though I recommend that once the syrup has boiled completely drizzle the liquid on the pearls for a uniform sweetness. 

8. Popping Boba Is Another Tapioca Pearl Option

Popping boba has seaweed as the primary ingredient along with fruit coloring and water. Seaweed or sea vegetables are plants that grow in the sea and since they aren’t derived from animals are fit to be consumed by vegans.

Just avoid honey and you have yourself a vegan friendly boba. 

9. Boba Pearls Are Non-Gelatinous Component Of Bubble Tea

Gelatin is widely used in the food industry. Made from various animal parts like bones, cartilages, fats make it unfit for vegans.

Also, by now you must have come to know that even the customization of the pearls doesn’t use gelatin.

10. Agar-Agar Is Another Ingredient That Is Widely Used To Make The Pearls

Agar-agar is another food item that though resembles jelly is plant-based. This is being used at large now keeping the vegans and vegetarians of the world in mind.

Let me also tell you that not all boba shops use vegan-friendly products in making the pearls. However, this doesn’t mean you stop drinking boba. Just ask what ingredients have been used to make your drink including how the pearls have been made and you are set.

11. Isn’t Dependent On Any Animal

Boba pearls as mentioned earlier is a by product of the cassava plant and is derived from its starch.

Vegans shun products derived from animals and since no animals are involved in making the pearls it is only right to call the pearls vegan.

12. Ever Heard Of Crystal Boba?

Crystal boba has soft jelly like texture and is translucent. Let me tell you that the jelly like texture is derived from agar-agar. Agar or agar-agar as it is commonly called resembles jelly is obtained from plants like red algae and is what lends crystal boba its texture.

This is another product that ensures that the pearls are completely fit for vegan consumption.

13. Thinking of Using Jellies With The Pearls But Gripped By Fear

Jellies are widely used in boba shops across the globe. Used as toppings, or with the pearls(to add some flavor to the otherwise bland pearls), the fact that they are made using ingredients that do not have any trace of gelatin makes them more desirable.

Lychee, grass jelly, coconut, coffee, taro, sweet potato, cucumber are some popular types of jellies that are used with the pearls to lend an interesting flavor and make them more desirable. 

 

I end my blog with the above-mentioned points. I hope that now you know that boba pearls are completely vegan. I am a vegetarian and like vegans, I too shun gelatin and meat. I am a boba noob and a blogger with a mission to spread awareness about various types of tea and their wonderful aspects. Bubble tea has more than what meets the eye and if tapioca milk tea intrigues you do visit my website to read about such amazing attributes by which it has the whole world wrapped around it.

Feel free to ask me questions in the comments section below & I will gladly answer them. 

Happy Sipping!