Food science knowledge bubbles up at Starr’s Mill

Spectacular spherification helped Starr’s Mill High students see science turn into something delicious when they crafted boba for bubble tea.

Students in the third year of Adriah Williams’s Food Science pathway created popping boba from scratch. Boba is chewy pearls, often made from tapioca, floating in tea, lending it the popular name of “bubble tea.” For the students, they made a variation, popping boba.

The process combines sodium alginate with a calcium chloride bath, and the chemical reaction forms a gel membrane around the mixture. That traps the liquid inside, creating the signature “popping” effect when bitten into.

The activity helped students study the functions of carbohydrates and how they can be manipulated to yield different results. The technique is widely used in modern food science for unique textures in culinary applications, like dessert toppings, vegan caviar, and even molecular gastronomy dishes

They followed up the boba activity with a chance to make gummy candy and study its similar ingredients.

“More than anything, my goal is to always instill my students with the confidence and skills to experiment with new food, recipes, cooking techniques, and cooking equipment,” said Williams.