Quick Answer
These four chewy Taiwanese treats differ in their main starch: tapioca pearls use cassava (tapioca) starch, tangyuan use glutinous rice flour, fen guo is steamed from sweet potato starch and potato starch with caramel, and taro and sweet potato balls mix taro or sweet potato into the dough. Tapioca pearls are the chewiest and the classic bubble tea topping; tangyuan are soft and sticky for sweet soups; fen guo and taro balls are common on shaved ice and tofu pudding.
Four chewy treats compared
| Name | Main ingredients | Texture | How it is eaten |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tapioca pearls (boba) | Cassava starch | Bouncy and chewy | Bubble milk tea, shaved ice, tofu pudding |
| Tangyuan | Glutinous rice flour | Soft and sticky | Sweet soups, winter solstice |
| Fen guo | Sweet potato starch and potato starch, steamed with caramel | Smooth and soft-chewy | Fen guo shaved ice, brown sugar fen guo |
| Taro balls, sweet potato balls | Cassava or sweet potato starch with taro or sweet potato | Chewy with a soft center | Shaved ice, tofu pudding, taro ball milk tea |
Tapioca pearls vs tangyuan
The key difference is the starch. Cassava starch turns translucent and springy when cooked, so tapioca pearls stay chewy and are easy to drink through a straw. Glutinous rice flour is very sticky, so tangyuan are soft and served in sweet soups. Tangyuan are kneaded and filled by hand, while yuanxiao are rolled in dry rice flour around a moistened filling.
What is fen guo?
Fen guo is a traditional Taiwanese shaved-ice topping. A common recipe mixes sweet potato starch and potato starch with caramel, steams it into a block and cuts it into cubes served with brown sugar syrup. Sweet potato starch thickens strongly but is less clear, so fen guo is darker and silky.
Using them in bubble tea and desserts
- Milk teas: cooked tapioca pearls are the standard; taro balls make taro ball milk tea.
- Taiwanese desserts: pearls, fen guo and taro balls pair with tofu pudding, grass jelly and aiyu; see bubble tea toppings.
- Overseas shops: frozen or shelf-stable pearls and taro balls save prep time; see how to store tapioca pearls.
How Tang Sugar can help
Tang Sugar supplies large, medium, small and flavored tapioca pearls, plus taro balls, mochi and other chewy toppings, quoted together and shipped in one container. Request samples.
Products in this article
All 8 Tapioca Pearls →
FAQ
Are tapioca pearls the same as boba?
Yes. Tapioca pearls, boba and “fen yuan” in Taiwan all refer to balls made mainly from cassava starch.
Can tangyuan be added to milk tea?
They can, but they are soft and sticky and hard to drink through a wide straw, so shops usually use tapioca pearls, taro balls or mochi.
What is fen guo made of?
A common recipe mixes sweet potato starch and potato starch with caramel, steams it and cuts it into small cubes.
Taro balls vs sweet potato balls?
They are made the same way; the difference is whether taro or sweet potato is mixed into the dough, which changes the color and aroma.
Related Reading
Types of Tapioca Pearls: Large, Mini, White, Golden, Frozen and Shelf-Stable Boba Compared
How Are Tapioca Pearls (Boba) Made? Ingredients and the 5-Step Factory Process
How to Make Mochi and Shiratama Balls with Mochi Powder for Bubble Tea ToppingsTaiwan StoriesThe Story of Douhua: Taiwan’s Beloved Tofu Pudding — How It’s Made, What It’s Called in English, and Toppings from Peanuts to Taro BallsAlso see: Tapioca pearls (products)
