Takeaways From The Latest Food Trend Of 'Popping' Pearl-Shaped Beverage Add-ins Like Boba – CoffeeTalk

The “popping” pearl-shaped food trend is gaining popularity as it adds fun to all kinds of menus. Tiny sphere-shaped foods, such as caviar, fish eggs, and finger limes, have been around for a long time and are now taking the world by storm. Some pearl-shaped bubble foods have been with us for a long time, not fads at all. For example, De Nigris Black Moderna Pearls, made with balsamic vinegar, are displayed in New York. Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, made with gold pearl trout roe, retails for about $100 an ounce and has a softer texture, a brownish-black color, and a buttery, earthy flavor.

Finger limes, another natural, pearl-shaped product, look like a skinny, pinky-shaped lime but inside are wonderful little crunchy caviar-like pearls of lime juice. They are definitely a novelty but not a gimmick: the flavor and texture are a terrific addition to anything from oysters to scallop ceviche. To harvest a finger lime’s caviar, just slice the lime down the middle and then squeeze each half. If your finger lime is fresh, the caviar should spill out easily. Look for them at specialty stores or online.

Boba and boba tea (also known as bubble tea) have been around since the 1980s, introduced from Taiwan, and now taking the world by storm. Boba pearls are usually made from tapioca starch (from the cassava plant), water, and sometimes a sweetener, like brown sugar, using a process known as gelatinization. The little boba balls are chewy and bouncy, and while they are most often served in a sweet cold tea, they can also be used in different preparations. There is also popping boba, designed to burst when you bite into it.

Spherified foods, or reverse spherification, are liquids that become squishy little orbs when a gelled membrane is created around them. Prova Gourmet pearls, in coffee, vanilla, and cocoa flavors, are made for pastry chefs to serve on desserts. Balsamic and other vinegar pearls are popular, and De Nigris makes a line of Italian balsamic vinegar pearls, including some flavored with truffle and orange. Messino makes balsamic pearls, lemon pearls, tartuflanghe turns truffle juice into truffle pearls, and also makes anchovy and pesto pearls.

Pomegranate pearls can be served on yogurt, tarts, and cocktails, as can the pomegranate’s natural pearls, the jelly-like arils that cover some seeds. Spherification, or reverse spherification, uses sodium alginate and calcium to create the little orbs. Some restaurants specify their own foods, from ravioli to melons. Olive lovers might be dazzled by the spherified olives at Jose Andres’ Mercado Little Spain in NYC. BelGiosioso makes teeny little mozzarella pearls, weighing in at 2.5 grams each.

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