Learn how to easily make these classic Taiwanese Jiu Fen taro and sweet potato balls that are so soft and chewy and can be used in many desserts or beverages.
If you enjoy bubble tea with the chewy tapioca pearls, you will absolutely love this Taiwanese classic taro and sweet potato balls. They have the same texture, soft and chewy. This dessert is made popular by a small town called Jiu Fen in Taiwan. The taro and sweet potato balls are served with sweetened beans or bean paste, usually, red beans or green beans, grass jelly cubes, shaved iced, and ginger syrup.
Ingredients for taro and sweet potato taro balls
1. Taro/yam
Taro is also known as yam in Asia, but in the U.S. yam and sweet potatoes are used interchangeably even though they aren’t the same thing. Taro is usually available at Asian grocery stores
2. Sweet potatoes
Usually refers to the orange color sweet potatoes, which we commonly see
3. Yellow sweet potatoes (Japanese sweet potatoes)
This sweet potato has yellow flesh and red purplish skin. I love this Japanese sweet potato because it’s starchier, firmer, and it is sweeter with a nutty undertone
4. Glutinous rice flour
Glutinous rice flour is also known as sweet rice flour or mochiko flour. It’s different from regular rice flour. Glutinous rice flour is gluten-free despite the name glutinous, it doesn’t refer to gluten
5. Tapioca flour
Tapioca flour is also known as tapioca starch. They are the same thing
6. Matcha powder
I use matcha powder to make green color balls
How to make Taiwanese taro and sweet potato balls
1. Get about 250-300 grams of taro and about 200 grams of orange sweet potatoes and 200 grams of yellow sweet potatoes. Peel the skin, cut into chunks and steam them over medium heat for 15 minutes or until you can easily mash with a fork. Mash them in separate bowls with sugar while they are still warm. You may have a bit of leftover taro and sweet potatoes
2. Measure out 100 grams of mashed taro add both tapioca and glutinous rice flour
3. Add the hot water and knead into a dough, if it’s too dry, add a bit more hot water, teaspoon by teaspoon. If it’s too wet, add a bit more tapioca starch, teaspoon by teaspoon until you get a non-sticky dough. Wrap in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying.
4. Repeat the same process to make the green tea taro balls, orange sweet potato balls, and yellow sweet potato balls. I didn’t add any sugar with the orange sweet potato balls because sweet potatoes are slightly sweet on its own, but feel free to add more if you prefer it a bit sweeter. Wrap each dough in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying
5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil
6. Work with one dough at a time, roll the dough out into a long rod, about 1-inch in diameter
7. Use a sharp knife to cut into about 1-inch rod piece. Lightly toss with a bit of tapioca flour to prevent sticking. Repeat with the rest
8. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the balls. Give them a couple of quick stirs to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Prepare a large bowl of ice-cold water
9. They will float to the top. Let them cook for another 2 minutes
10. Then take them out from the boiling water and submerged them into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Let them sit in the ice water for about 5 minutes
11. Drain off the ice water. Put the balls in a container. Add about 1 tablespoon of sugar and gently toss the balls with the sugar. They will not stick together anymore. This can be kept at room temperature for about 1-2 days and in the fridge for about 3 days.
What to serve with Taiwanese taro and sweet potato balls
They can be served with a warm or cold dessert such as:
1. Sweet mung bean soup
2. Sweet red bean soup
3. Ginger syrup
4. Ice kachang
Did you make this Taiwanese taro and sweet potato balls recipe?
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Taiwanese Jiu Fen Taro and Sweet Potato Balls Dessert
Ingredients
For taro balls:
- 100 gr mashed taro
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 30 gr tapioca starch plus more as needed
- 30 gr glutinous rice flour
- 1 Tbsp hot water plus more as needed
For sweet potato balls:
- 100 gr orange sweet potato
- 30 gr tapioca starch plus more as needed
- 30 gr glutinous rice flour
- hot water you may or may not need to add any
For yellow sweet potato balls:
- 100 gr yellow sweet potato
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 30 gr tapioca starch
- 30 gr glutinous rice flour
- hot water you may or may not need to add any
For matcha flavor balls:
- 100 gr mashed taro
- 2 tsp matcha powder
- 1 Tbsp sugar add more as needed
- 30 gr tapioca starch
- 30 gr glutinous rice flour
- 60 gr hot water add more as needed
Soy milk tea base (optional) :
- 400 ml soy milk
- 3 black tea teabags
- 50 gr condensed milk or to your taste
You can also serve this with:
Other toppings:
Instructions
- Get about 250-300 grams of taro and about 200 grams of orange sweet potatoes and 200 grams of yellow sweet potatoes. Peel the skin, cut into chunks and steam them over medium heat for 15 minutes or until you can easily mash with a fork. Mash them in separate bowls with sugar while they are still warm. You may have a bit of leftover taro and sweet potatoes
Prepare the dough balls:
- Measure out 100 grams of mashed taro add both tapioca and glutinous rice flour. Add the hot water and knead into a dough, if it's too dry, add a bit more hot water, teaspoon by teaspoon. If it's too wet, add a bit more tapioca starch, teaspoon by teaspoon until you get a non-sticky dough. Wrap in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying.
- Repeat the same process to make the green tea taro balls, orange sweet potato balls, and yellow sweet potato balls. I didn't add any sugar with the orange sweet potato balls because sweet potatoes are slightly sweet on its own, but feel free to add more if you prefer it a bit sweeter. Wrap each dough in a plastic wrap to prevent them from drying
Shaping:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Work with one dough at a time, roll the dough out into a long rod, about 1-inch in diameter. Use a sharp knife to cut into about 1-inch rod piece. Lightly toss with a bit of tapioca flour to prevent sticking. Repeat with the rest
Cooking:
- When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the balls. Give them a couple of quick stirs to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Prepare a large bowl of ice-cold water
- They will float to the top. Let them cook for another 2 minutes and then take them out from the boiling water and submerged into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Let them sit in the ice water for about 5 minutes
- Drain off the ice water. Put the balls in a container. Add about 1 tablespoon of sugar and gently toss the balls with the sugar. They will not stick together anymore. This can be kept at room temperature for about 1-2 days and in the fridge for about 3 days.
Soy milk tea base: (if you choose to make this)
- Bring soy milk to a gentle simmer (not boiling) and then turn off the heat. Put the tea bags in and let them steep for 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid from the tea bags and discard. Add condensed milk and adjust to your taste
How to serve:
- Portion out the taro and sweet potato balls into a bowl. Add toppings of your choice. Ladle the soy milk tea base over or whatever you serve this with. Enjoy!
