Taro ball facts for kids
A cup of taro and sweet potato balls
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| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Taiwan |
| Main ingredients | Taro, sweet potato or potato flour, water |
Taro balls are a yummy, chewy dessert from Taiwan. They are like small, soft dumplings made mainly from a root vegetable called taro. You can find them almost everywhere in Taiwan, and they are also popular in other parts of the world where Taiwanese food is sold. Many people say the taro balls from a place called Jiufen are the most famous!
What Are Taro Balls?
Taro balls get their name from their main ingredient, taro. Taro is a starchy root vegetable, a bit like a potato, but it often has a light purple color inside. When taro is mashed and mixed with other ingredients, it gives the taro balls a pretty crystal purple or gray color.
How Are They Made?
To make taro balls, mashed taro is mixed with water and a type of flour. If you use sweet potato flour, the taro balls become more springy and bouncy. If you use potato flour, they turn out softer.
Sometimes, instead of taro, people use other ingredients to make similar treats:
- Sweet potato balls are yellow and made from mashed sweet potato.
- Mung bean balls are green and made from ground mung bean.
How Are They Served?
Taro balls are a very flexible dessert! They can be served in a few different ways:
- With syrup: You can enjoy them with a sweet syrup, either hot or icy cold. This is perfect for any weather!
- As toppings: It is also very common to add taro balls and sweet potato balls on top of other Taiwanese desserts. Two popular desserts they often go with are douhua (a soft tofu pudding) or tshuah-ping (shaved ice).
