I grew up with Filipino desserts that featured tapioca pearls known as sago. I’ve had them in hot drinks (sago at gulaman), cold drinks (halo-halo), and soups. This last preparation is generally known as ginataang halo halo, a coconut cream-based hot dessert featuring plantains, taro, yams, jackfruit, bilo-bilo (sticky rice balls) and tapioca pearls. (There is a variation of dessert ginataan known as ginataang mais, but possesses the texture of rice pudding and lacks the tapioca pearls.)

The Filipino dessert of which I have the fondest memories is taho, a hot drink made with liquefied sugar, soft tofu and tapioca pearls. It’s probably the only preparation of tofu I’d ever consume without hesitation–as long as the tofu has absorbed the sweetness fully. However, I have consumed taho with the tofu withheld upon request, and it is ultimately preferable to the tofu/sago mixture. 

Nowadays, tapioca pearls have become part of a mainstream drink sensation known as boba tea, which originated in Taiwan. Of course, the main ingredients is the boba (tapioca pearls or bubbles) and milk tea. I’ve never been a fan of tea, so I steered clear of the lactose variation. Luckily, boba drinks expanded to include juices, smoothies and slushes. So I’ve been partaking regularly of these versions with the boba thrown in. Since my preference generally steers towards mango, I’ve been trying all sorts of combinations: mango pineapple, mango strawberry, mango banana or just plain mango. I’ve even had lychee slush with boba–and may have to ask for mango lychee one of these days.

The tapioca pearls vary in texture from dense and chewy to soft and gummy. A version of boba known as pop boba contains a flavored center in a normally chewy tapioca shell. Other popular addons include jelly (or nata de coco), flan and of course chopped fresh fruit. Of course, like halo-halo, the more addons the better! This passing familiarity with Filipino desserts is what keeps me hooked on boba drinks, and I’m glad they’ve taken hold here in the U.S.