From a single tea leaf, a cup of bubble tea and a bowl of douhua to the lights of the night market — sail six stops along Taiwan's coast to meet its flavors and people, and see how a Taiwanese food company carries them to the world.
Along Taiwan's coastline — setting off from the tea hills and finally sailing from the harbor to the world.
Brand Philosophy
Tang Sugar Brand Philosophy: Taiwanese Food and Taiwanese Service, Bringing the Flavors of Taiwan to the World
From the Formosa Oolong that sailed to New York in 1869 to bubble tea loved around the globe, Taiwan has long been sending great flavors to the world. Tang Sugar (Caitang International) is a Taiwanese company proud of the food Taiwanese people make and the service they provide. With consistent ingredient quality, clear partnership terms and verifiable supply capability, we…
It introduces Taiwan's tea, bubble tea, night-market food, fruit and sugar, everyday life and Made in Taiwan, and shows how Tang Sugar brings these flavors and Taiwanese service to partners around the world.
How is Taiwan Stories different from the blog?
Taiwan Stories covers culture, origins and Taiwan through foreign eyes; the blog covers drink recipes, ingredient dosage and sourcing. The two link to each other, so you can go from a story to a recipe.
Aiyu: Taiwan’s Endemic Clear Dessert — Where Aiyu Seeds Come From, Its Partnership with Fig Wasps, and Aiyu Ice and Aiyu Lemonade
Key answer
Aiyu is a plant variety endemic to Taiwan — Ficus pumila L. var. awkeotsang, in the fig genus of the mulberry family — and it relies on aiyu fig wasps for pollination, a mutually beneficial partnership. Wrap the seeds in cloth and rub them in water, and they set into clear aiyu jelly. Lian Heng’s General History of Taiwan records that in 1821 a merchant found naturally set jelly by a stream in Chiayi and had his daughter, Aiyu, sell it, giving it its name — though the story leans toward legend; Japanese botanist Makino Tomitaro published its scientific name in 1904. Tang Sugar supplies aiyu and dessert toppings so shops overseas can make aiyu lemonade and aiyu ice.
Aiyu, found only in Taiwan
On a Taiwanese summer day, a bowl of aiyu with lemon juice and syrup is cool and refreshing. Many foreign visitors don’t realize this clear, jiggly dessert comes from a plant found only in Taiwan. Aiyu grows in Taiwan’s low- to mid-elevation mountains, climbing tree trunks and rock faces, and is cultivated in Chiayi, Nantou, Taitung and elsewhere (further reading: what is aiyu?).
Where aiyu comes from: a story from the General History of Taiwan
Lian Heng’s General History of Taiwan records that early in the Daoguang reign (1821), a merchant from Tong’an, Fujian, came to Chiayi to buy local goods and noticed clear jelly set on the surface of a stream, which he traced to fruit fallen from a tree. He took the fruit home, rubbed it in water to make jelly, and had his daughter Aiyu sell it — so people called it “aiyu”. It’s the earliest written record, but the people and the naming lean toward legend. Some researchers note that aiyu was simply a wild plant in Indigenous peoples’ lives, and who first made it into jelly remains unknown.
The science of aiyu: wasps and pectin
Item
Details
Scientific name
Ficus pumila L. var. awkeotsang (Makino) Corner
Classification
Fig genus, mulberry family; a variety endemic to Taiwan
Pollination
By aiyu fig wasps, in a mutually beneficial partnership
Naming
Published by Makino Tomitaro around 1904
Why it sets
Pectin on the seed coat gels with calcium and magnesium ions in water (researched by Professor Huang Yung-chuan of National Taiwan University in the 1960s)
Historical note
In 1910 the Chiayi farmers’ association sent aiyu seeds to the Japan–British Exhibition, winning a silver medal
Because setting depends on minerals in the water, purified or heavily softened water makes it hard to wash out aiyu jelly — one of aiyu’s fascinating quirks (further reading: the story of douhua, a guide to Taiwanese desserts).
Tang Sugar: putting aiyu in drink cups overseas
Aiyu is a gift from Taiwan’s nature and an endemic species Taiwanese people are proud of. Caitang International Co., Ltd. (brand name Tang Sugar) supplies the toppings drink and dessert shops overseas use most:
Aiyu: for aiyu lemonade, aiyu ice and aiyu green tea.
This article belongs to Stop 3, Night Markets & Street Food, of the Taiwan Stories series. Series opener: Tang Sugar brand philosophy.
FAQ
Is aiyu unique to Taiwan?
Yes. Aiyu is a plant variety endemic to Taiwan, Ficus pumila var. awkeotsang, pollinated by aiyu fig wasps.
What is 愛玉 in English?
愛玉 is usually written aiyu jelly or aiyu jelly drink, and its seeds are called awkeotsang seeds.
Why is it called aiyu?
Lian Heng’s General History of Taiwan says the discoverer had his daughter, Aiyu, sell the jelly, giving it its name — though the story leans toward legend.
How is aiyu made?
Wrap aiyu seeds in gauze and rub them in cooled boiled water to release the gel, then let it stand for about 20–30 minutes until it sets.
How do aiyu and grass jelly differ?
Aiyu comes from the pectin on aiyu seeds and is clear and light; grass jelly is made by boiling the mesona plant and setting it with starch, so it’s dark with an herbal aroma.
