Mention pearls – those made of tapioca – and most will instantly associate them with bubble tea.
But why limit pearls to drinks when you can have them in your food as well?
Some innovative Taiwanese pâtissiers have decided to experiment by adding pearls to their delicious pastries.
Nope, you didn’t read that wrong, and damn do they look tasty.
Here are 4 pearl-stuffed pastries from Taiwan that show pearls don’t just belong at the bottom of a cup of milk tea.
Steamed buns – aka baos – are often associated with sweet or savoury fillings like red bean and char siew.
But why restrict yourself to having just these traditional flavours?
This bao-maker from Hsinchu broke new ground by coming up with milk-tea flavoured liusha bao filled with chewy pearls.
At just S$1.10 (NT26) per bao, these are economical and tasty solutions to your hunger pangs when you’re in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Location: West Dafa Explosive Gravy Bun (西大發爆漿城隍包)
Address: No. 3 Chang An Street, Northern Hsinchu City
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8.30am-10pm
Sat-Sun: 8.30am-9pm
Nearest Metro: Hsinchu (新竹) Station
Jam packed with sweet and fluffy cream, these crispy puffs are a delight to have any time of the day.
But cream puffs at 人性空間 – a cafe in Taipei – have a whole new dimension to them thanks to the yummy pearls added generously on top.
These bubble-filled cream puffs are available in two flavours – chocolate and milk tea – at S$2.85 (NT$65) and S$2.65 (NT$60) respectively.
That’s already cheaper than most cream puff that you’ll find in Singapore, so why not give them a try the next time you’re in Taiwan?
Location: Human Space (人性空間)
Address: No. 1-1, Alley 4, Lane 286, Section 3, Luosifu Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
Opening Hours: 11:30am-11pm daily
Nearest Metro: Gongguan (公館) Station
Fried to golden perfection, these custard-filled pancakes will have you drooling in no time.
Slap on a generous scoop of delicious pearls and these puffs are transformed into a feast for the eyes, and a decadent breakfast option.
These delightful pastries come in 3 flavours, Strawberry Custard, Blueberry Cheese and Brown Sugar Pearls, all retailing at S$4.30 (NT$99).
Location: Picnic Pickup x Guchu (刈起野餐吧X古厝)
Address: 802, No. 29號, Lane 28, Xinguang Road, Kaohsiung City,
Opening Hours: 8am-8pm daily
Nearest Metro Station: Sanduo Shopping District (三多商圈) Station
Egg tarts are the perfect finale to every dimsum meal. But did you know you can zhng them simply by adding pearls?
The pearls aren’t just on the surface, they can also be found sandwiched in the egg-custard filling too!
These bubble egg tarts are available at just S$2 (NT$45), quite a steal if you take into account the amount of pearls you’re getting!
Location: Fruit Rock (搖滾水果)
Address: No. 146, Zhongxing Street, West District, Taichung City, Taiwan 403
Opening Hours:
Mon-Tues, Thurs-Fri: 2-9pm
Sat-Sun: 12-9pm
Closed on Wednesday
Nearest Metro Station: Wenxin Park (文心森林公園) Station
Will you try them?
Not sure about you, but writing about these desserts got us pretty hungry.
Would you be open to trying these pearls-infused pastries yourself?
Let us know down below.
Featured image from Instagram and Instagram.
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