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.
How to Order Bubble Tea in Taiwan: Sugar and Ice Levels in English — Half Sugar, Less Ice, No Ice and Add Boba
Key answer
Ordering a Taiwanese drink comes down to sugar level and ice level. Sugar: regular or full sugar (全糖), less sugar (少糖), half sugar (半糖), light sugar (微糖), no sugar (無糖). Ice: regular ice (正常冰), less ice (少冰), light ice (微冰), no ice (去冰), hot (熱的). To add tapioca pearls, say add boba or add pearls (加珍珠); large is 大杯 and to go is 外帶. Taiwan has no single standard for sugar and ice levels, so each shop defines them differently. Tang Sugar helps drink shops overseas set sugar and ice standards with syrup dispensers so every cup tastes the same.
“Sugar and ice?” — Taiwan’s most famous question
Walk into any drink shop in Taiwan and the staff will ask: “Sugar and ice?” (甜度冰塊?). The question sums up the heart of Taiwan’s hand-shaken drink culture — every cup is made to the customer’s taste. For first-time visitors, learning to answer it is all it takes to get exactly the drink you want (further reading: Taiwan’s hand-shaken drink culture).
Sizes and more: medium (中杯), large (大杯); to go (外帶), for here (內用), a bag, please (要袋子).
Sample conversation: Staff: What would you like? Customer: One large black tea latte with boba, half sugar, less ice, please. Staff: To go? Customer: Yes, to go. Thank you!
Tang Sugar: making “half sugar” consistent overseas
The most common problem for Taiwanese drink shops overseas is that staff add a different amount of sugar every time. Caitang International Co., Ltd. (brand name Tang Sugar) is proud of the careful service behind Taiwanese drinks and helps overseas shops bring Taiwan’s sugar and ice system over in full:
