Halloween is coming soon and it’s an excellent time to get some friends (or your kid’s friends) together and “hang out” before all the trick-or-treating begins. There are a lot of great Halloween food ideas online and I want to share with you a fun drink for all ages.
This is my twist on the traditional Filipino drink called “sago.” It’s lemonade that’s been tinted green (limeade will work, too) and tapioca pearls. This drink can go along with a movie theme or can stand alone as a “creepy” drink (eggs of newt, perhaps?). I used the white/clear pearls but the brown “boba” balls would work just as well and could give it a different effect.
Check out a closeup:
When you serve this drink, clear cups work great to get the “full effect” and don’t forget to buy boba straws. The straws are about 1/2-inch wide so that you can suck up all the tapioca pearls. You can find them in some Asian markets or buy some off of a local boba shop. Surprisingly, I found these at a Smart & Final Extra! store. If you can’t find straws, you can do what I did as a kid — just spoon it out after you drink all the liquid.
Where to get Tapioca Pearls
You can purchase tapioca pearls in most Asian markets. They are uncooked and come in several sizes and colors. They’re pretty much flavorless but will slightly take on the flavor of the liquid it’s sitting in. The pearls I used were 1/4″ uncooked and blew up to twice its size after it’s cooked. All the tapioca pearls that I’ve purchased didn’t have any instructions (or maybe it did, and I couldn’t read the language it was printed in). I’ll spare you the internet search and give you directions for these pearls. You’ll want to give yourself some time to make this — even plan a day ahead so you’re not rushing to get it cooked.
Tapioca Pearl Cooking Instructions
Ingredients
- 6 quarts of water
- 1 cup of tapioca pearls
- 1/2 cup sugar optional
Instructions
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Bring the water to a boil and add tapioca pearls.
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Boil for 30 minutes on medium, stirring every 10 minutes so that they don't stick.
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Add sugar and boil another 20 minutes.
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Allow it to sit to room temperature so that it can cook thoroughly before removing it from the pot.
Recipe Notes
You can store these in the refrigerator in water (or a flavored liquid) for up to a week.