Tapioca Pearls in Coconut milk with Honeydew, pineapple and peaches

This recipe is easy to make but will take few steps. But it is incredible refreshing for a Hot summer day and the best thing to bring to a beach picnic.

I ate something similar for the first time in Taipei, when I was doing my scholarship of TCM for Doctors. I became friend of Taiwanese young fellow that was our tour guide and he made sure all our group of physicians had everything we need for our daily classes and chill out after it. He took the group of dozens of MD from Brazil to touristic restaurants where western people might enjoy Chinese food. But once we became friends I asked him to take us for Real Taiwanese food, I wanted to eat where LOCALS ate on daily basis. He was kind enough to grant my wishes and I had a wonderful experience on Taiwanese cuisine. One day EJ took me to a Restaurant full of desserts. His favorite desserts, by the way. One thing they served me was these tapioca balls in a light sugary coconut milk full of azuki beans and honeydews. I never ate tapioca balls that way. My Italian grandmother used to cook tapioca balls in red wine with spices and sugar… So that was very new to me. So when I got home I started to create what I thought I tasted there.

Here is my version of Tapioca balls, changed many times since 2005 to get tastier.

Ingredients:

3 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup of aloe vera juice ( you can find in Asian market, I bought mine at save on Foods)
400 gr of dried tapioca pearls ( seed tapioca -Got at @Saveonfoods BRIDGWATER CENTER)
1 cup whole milk
1 cups full fat coconut milk

1 cup of Full coconut cream ( I bought at #saveonfoods ASIAN HOME Gourmet powder -mix in a container 1 cup of room temperature water with a full envelope, mix well)
1 cup of 1/2 inch diced melon (honeydew or cantaloupe)
1 cup of 1/2 inch diced peaches

1 cup of 1/2 inch diced pineapples

1 cup of sweet young coconut strings ( Asian section at save on foods)

Fresh Mint from garden for garnish

Directions:

Soak tapioca pearls in 2 liters of cold water for 30 minutes. The pearls will expand a bit. Transfer the water with tapioca to a medium pot, bring to a boil. Than put to low heat and stir for about 5 minutes until it become transparent or light white color, try one, see if is soft…if it is you should remove from the heat and transfer to a fine mesh sieve and run cold water over it to stop the tapioca pearls from cooking further.

Add one cup of aloe vera juice over the tapioca balls so they don’t glue together and separate for later. If is getting too sticky add more aloe vera.

In a medium sized pot, bring the water and sugar to a boil. When boiling, turn the heat to low and stir in the milk. When the mixture returns to a boil, turn off the heat and stir in the coconut milk and the coconut cream .NEVER ever let the coconut to boils it will turn into a very different texture and you will need to prepare all over again.

Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

get the Tapioca balls mixed with aloe vera, added the young coconut gelatin and combine with the coconut milk mixture and continue to chill in refrigerator. I don’t recommend you add in the same container the fruits and tapioca. Leave everything diced in separate container , when you going to serve add a portion of the peaches, of the pineapples and than honeydew. On top chopped peppermint from my garden to give an extra fresh touch. Your friends will like it !