Taro Balls, Sweet Potato Balls, Tofu Pudding Mix and Fen Guo: Sourcing and Storing Taiwanese Dessert Toppings

Quick Answer

Taro balls and sweet potato balls are chewy little balls made from taro or sweet potato with starch. They are usually stored frozen and boiled straight from the freezer. Tofu pudding (douhua) mix is boiled with water and sets as it cools; fen guo is a clear, soft starch jelly; and aiyu is a refreshing jelly unique to Taiwan. On Google Trends, taro balls are the most searched Taiwanese snack ingredient, and they work well on bubble tea and dessert menus.

Taiwanese Dessert Toppings Compared

Topping	Made from	Texture	Storage	Popular uses
taro balls	Taro, starch	Chewy, taro aroma	Frozen	Taro ball soup, douhua, shaved ice, taro ball milk tea
sweet potato balls	Sweet potato, starch	Chewy, lightly sweet	Frozen	Douhua, shaved ice, sweet soup
tofu pudding (douhua) mix	Premix based on soybean powder	Silky	Shelf-stable (powder)	Douhua with syrup, ginger syrup, peanuts, tapioca
fen guo mix	Starch	Clear and soft	Shelf-stable (powder)	Shaved ice, douhua, brown sugar fen guo
aiyu jelly	Aiyu	Light and smooth	Per product label	Lemon aiyu, aiyu ice

For the difference between tapioca pearls, tangyuan, fen guo and taro balls, see Tapioca pearls vs tangyuan vs fen guo vs taro balls.

How to Cook Taro and Sweet Potato Balls

Do not thaw: drop frozen taro balls straight into boiling water so they do not stick together.
Cook after they float: keep cooking briefly after they rise and check the centers are done, following the product’s time.
Chill: transfer to cold or ice water for a chewier bite, then toss with syrup to stop sticking.
Use the same day: cooked balls harden over time, so cook in batches.

How Dessert and Bubble Tea Shops Abroad Use Them

Taiwanese douhua: douhua with taro balls, sweet potato balls, fen guo and peanuts is the easiest Taiwanese dessert to start with. Shoppers search “tofu pudding” or “douhua”; in Japan 豆花の素, in Korea 또우화.
Taro ball shaved ice: a summer bestseller that shares toppings with douhua.
Drink add-ons: taro balls and fen guo can go into milk tea and fresh milk tea and be charged as toppings, just like pearls. Shoppers search “taro balls”; in Japan タロイモ団子, in Korea 타로볼.

Ordering and Shipping

Frozen items need a reefer container: taro and sweet potato balls must stay frozen throughout and can ship with other frozen goods.
Powders are shelf-stable: tofu pudding mix and fen guo mix can ship in a mixed container with pearls and tea.
Documents: see Documents to request before importing ingredients.

How Tang Sugar Can Help

Tang Sugar supplies taro balls, sweet potato balls, tofu pudding (douhua) mix, fen guo mix and aiyu jelly. Every Tang Sugar shipment comes with a Certificate of Origin and a Certificate of Analysis (COA), available on request. Shelf-stable snack ingredients can ship in a mixed container with tapioca pearls, tea and syrups. Contact us for a quote or request samples.