Tapioca pearls, also called tapioca balls or boba, are small translucent spheres. Their cooked size is usually somewhere between a pea and a marble, and they’re made with tapioca starch, which comes from the cassava root.
Tapioca pearls are commonly used in desserts and drinks, particularly in Asian cuisine. They are often cooked in a sweet syrup or flavored liquid, such as coconut milk, and used in dishes like fruit cocktails, and sweet.