Narrator: TAPIOCA PUDDING
IS A TEXTURAL FUSION
OF CREAMINESS
AND CHEWY TAPIOCA PEARLS.
THE RECIPE
IS AT LEAST A CENTURY OLD,
AND THERE ARE
CONFLICTING THEORIES
ABOUT WHEN AND WHERE
IT WAS INVENTED --
BRITAIN OR THE UNITED STATES.
WITH ITS DISTINCTIVE CHEWINESS,
IT BRINGS SOMETHING ENTIRELY
DIFFERENT TO THE TABLE.
TODAY FACTORIES WHIP UP
TAPIOCA PUDDING IN BIG BATCHES.
TIMES HAVE CHANGED,
BUT THE APPETITE FOR THIS
PEARLY PUDDING HASN'T WANED.
THE PROOF
IS TRULY IN THE PUDDING.
THE TAPIOCA PEARLS, OF COURSE,
DEFINE THIS DISH.
THE OPAQUE, LITTLE BALLS
ARE PROCESSED FROM A VEGETABLE
GROWN IN SOUTH AMERICA
CALLED CASSAVA ROOT.
THE RECIPE ALSO CALLS FOR MORE
TRADITIONAL BAKING INGREDIENTS
LIKE WHOLE MILK, EGGS...
SUGAR...
AND VANILLA.
THEY PIPE THE WHOLE MILK
INTO A GIANT MIXING KETTLE.
THIS KETTLE
HAS STEAM-HEATED STEEL WALLS
TO GENTLY COOK THE INGREDIENTS
WHILE BLENDING THEM.
AS THE MILK FROTHS, THE COOK
MEASURES THE TAPIOCA PEARLS.
THE PEARLS ARRIVE AT
THE FACTORY ALREADY PROCESSED,
FORMED BY GRINDING
THE ROOT VEGETABLE INTO POWDER
AND TUMBLING IT TO SHAPE IT
INTO PROPERLY SIZED PEARLS.
AS THE PEARLS COOK IN THE MILK,
THEY WILL SOFTEN AND SWELL
TO DOUBLE THE SIZE,
JUST LIKE RICE.
BUT UNLIKE RICE,
THEY'LL TAKE ON AN ALMOST
JELLYLIKE, CHEWY CONSISTENCY.
HE ADDS SUGAR
TO SWEETEN THE MIX.
THE COOK THEN LEAVES
THE SWIRLING AND FOAMING MIX
TO COOK FOR OVER AN HOUR.
MEANWHILE, AT ANOTHER STATION,
THEY ADD TAPIOCA STARCH TO A
DIFFERENT BLENDER FULL OF MILK.
THIS BLENDER IS UNHEATED
AND HAS HIGHER SPEED FOR MIXING
THAT'S FAST AND FURIOUS.
HE ADDS EGGS...
AND HE FLAVORS THE MIX
WITH SALT.
THE TAPIOCA STARCH
ACTS AS A THICKENING AGENT
FOR THIS SEPARATE MIX,
AS THE BLENDER WHIPS IT
TO A FROTHY STATE.
THEY TRANSFER THE STARCH BLEND
TO THE MAIN MIXING KETTLE.
THE COOK
ADDS A NATURAL FOOD COLORING
TO MAKE THE PUDDING BEIGE ALONG
WITH SOME VANILLA FLAVORING.
THE TAPIOCA PEARLS
ARE JUST THE RIGHT CONSISTENCY.
THIS PUDDING IS NOW FULLY COOKED
AND READY TO MOVE ON
TO THE FILLING LINE.
THEY PUMP IT
WHILE IT'S STILL STEAMING HOT
INTO SINGLE-SERVE PLASTIC CUPS.
PACKAGING THE PUDDING
WHILE IT'S STILL HOT
IS AN ACT OF FOOD PRESERVATION,
WHICH, NOT SURPRISINGLY,
IS CALLED HOT FILL.
THE HOT-FILL TECHNIQUE
LOCKS IN NUTRIENTS
AND ENSURES FRESHNESS,
GIVING THE PRODUCT A SHELF LIFE
OF ABOUT 70 DAYS.
SUCTIONING ARMS SWIFTLY TRANSFER
FOIL LIDS TO COVER THE CUPS,
GIVING THE PUDDING
NO TIME TO COOL DOWN.
WITH THE LIDS IN PLACE,
THE FILLER
MOVES THE CUPS FORWARD
TO MEET UP
WITH HEAT-SEALER HEADS.
THEY FUSE THE FOIL LIDS
TO THE PLASTIC CUP RIMS.
IT'S TAKEN JUST SECONDS
TO FILL THESE CUPS
WITH HOT TAPIOCA PUDDING
AND SEAL THEM,
EFFECTIVELY PRESERVING THEM.
THE PUDDING-FILLED CUPS
NOW FUNNEL INTO A LANE
TO POSITION THEM SINGLE FILE.
THEN THEY TRAVEL BETWEEN
RUBBER BELTS THAT SQUEEZE THEM.
IF THEY CAN TAKE THE PRESSURE,
IT CONFIRMS THAT THE CUPS
ARE TIGHTLY SEALED.
A PRINTER
SPRAYS THE EXPIRATION DATE
AND OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION
ONTO THE CUP.
AFTER WEIGHING TO CONFIRM
THERE'S ENOUGH PUDDING INSIDE,
AN X-RAY MACHINE
SCANS THE CONTENTS
TO CONFIRM
THAT THERE ARE NO CONTAMINANTS.
THEN THEY'RE ON THE WAY
TO THE CHILLING LINE.
INSIDE THE TUBS,
THE TAPIOCA PUDDING
IS STILL HOT AND FLUID.
THE CUPS RIDE A SYSTEM
OF SPIRALING,
REFRIGERATED CONVEYORS
BRINGING
THE PUDDING'S TEMPERATURE DOWN
TO ABOUT
100-DEGREES FAHRENHEIT
AND THICKENING IT SUBSTANTIALLY.
THE PUDDING-FILLED CONTAINERS
NOW PASS THROUGH GATES
THAT SEPARATE THEM
INTO TWO LANES
AND THEN ARRANGE THEM
IN GROUPS OF THREE.
MACHINERY PLACES
ONE GROUP OF THREE ONTO ANOTHER,
AND THEN ALL THAT'S LEFT
IS THE PACKAGING.
MECHANICAL ARMS
PLACE THE PAPERBOARD SLEEVE
ON THE TOP THREE CUPS.
TRAVELING THROUGH A NARROW LANE,
GUIDES FOLD THE PAPERBOARD DOWN
AROUND THE BOTTOM THREE CUPS
AS A SPRAYER
APPLIES HOT GLUE TO THE FLAPS.
A WORKER
PULLS OFF ONE PACK OF SIX
AND SENDS IT OVER
TO A PANEL OF TESTERS
FOR AN INSPECTION AND TASTE.
THEY EXAMINE THE PUDDING
FOR COLOR AND CONSISTENCY.
THEY ALSO TASTE A LITTLE
FROM EACH PRODUCTION BATCH
TO CONFIRM
THAT IT'S SWEET ENOUGH,
THAT THE TAPIOCA BEADS
ARE THE DESIRED TEXTURE,
AND THAT IT MEETS
ALL OTHER QUALITY REQUIREMENTS.
IF THEY LIKE WHAT THEY TASTE,
THE ENTIRE BATCH
IS DECLARED READY FOR RETAIL.
THREE HOURS IN THE MAKING,
THIS TAPIOCA PUDDING
IS NOW READY TO ADD A LITTLE
SWEETNESS TO SOMEONE'S DAY.
