• Place water, food color, if using, and sugar in a medium-sized bowl and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Add one-and-a-half of tapioca starch and mix to combine. Microwave for one minute or more until sticky as shown in the photo above. This takes one minute and thirty seconds to two minutes.
• Remove from the microwave and add one-half cup of tapioca starch. Mix using a spoon and add more tapioca starch. I add the tapioca starch one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is easy to handle. Transfer the dough to a flat surface and continue to knead until it does not stick to the palm of your hand.

Roll the Dough

• Kneading the dough is time-consuming. You want a dough that is easy to handle and doesn't stick to your palm. To achieve this texture, add tapioca flour one tablespoon at a time until you have achieved the right consistency to be able to pull a small amount of the dough and form it into a ball. Don’t make the ball too large, as you want it to fit in the straw.
• Ensure that you lightly dust the pearls with tapioca starch to prevent sticking.

Cooking the Boba Pearls

• Boil Water– put five cups of water in the pot and let it boil.
• Add Boba Pearls: Carefully add the pearls to the boiling water. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pearls to the boiling water. Don’t just dump the whole batch of pearls into the boiling water. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Cook Time: The pearls will float; from that, cook the Tapioca for 25 minutes. Boil until the pearls become translucent and chewy. Add more water if necessary and stir gently to prevent the pearls from sticking at the bottom.
• Strain and Rinse: Remove the pearls from heat. Rinse them with cold water and transfer them to a container. This process prevents the boba pearls from sticking.

Sweetening the Boba Pearls

• Mix brown sugar and water in a saucepan to prepare sugar Syrup. Heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Cook the mixture for ten minutes on low heat
• Drain the cooked boba pearls and transfer them into the sugar syrup. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes to absorb the flavor.