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.
Old-Fashioned Black Tea and Foam Tea Shops: The First Shaken Foam Black Tea in Taichung in 1983, from Tea House to Drink Kingdom
Key answer
Taiwan’s hand-shaken drinks began with foam black tea. According to Chun Shui Tang, in 1983 the Yang Xian tea house on Siwei Street in Taichung (its forerunner) shook hot tea, syrup and ice in a cocktail shaker until it frothed, creating an icy foam black tea. Nearby tea houses followed, foam tea shops became where young people gathered in the 1980s, and they later gave rise to bubble tea. Old-fashioned black tea is Taiwan’s traditional iced tea: black tea boiled with sugar, cooled and served over ice, with a caramel aroma, common at breakfast shops and long-running stores. Tang Sugar supplies black tea and syrups to bring this Taiwanese flavor to the world.
One cocktail shaker changed Taiwan’s tea
Before foam tea, Taiwanese people mostly drank tea hot, often gongfu style. In the early 1980s, a Taichung tea house took a cue from bartenders’ cocktail shakers and shook hot tea, syrup and ice together, producing a fine layer of foam. Icy and sweet, it was a hit with students. From then on, tea was no longer just for the older generation — it became a youth trend (further reading: the history of foam black tea).
The era of foam tea shops
1983: According to Chun Shui Tang, the Yang Xian tea house founded by Liu Han-chieh on Siwei Street in Taichung shook the first foam black tea (the company’s own account).
1980s: Many tea houses around Taichung followed, forming a foam tea street; businesses such as Quickly also opened in Taichung.
1986–1987: Hanlin Tea Room and Chun Shui Tang each added tapioca pearls to milk tea, and bubble tea was born (further reading: the origin and history of bubble tea).
From the 1990s: Foam tea shops turned into takeaway drink shops, and chains spread across Taiwan.
Who made the very first cup is still debated between Taichung and Tainan; what’s clearer is that foam black tea started Taiwan’s 1980s tea drink boom.
Old-fashioned black tea, foam black tea and bubble tea: what’s the difference?
Drink
How it’s made
What it’s like
Old-fashioned black tea
Black tea boiled with sugar, cooled and served over ice
Caramel aroma, quite sweet, common at breakfast shops
Foam black tea
Hot tea, syrup and ice shaken in a cocktail shaker
Fine foam, icy and refreshing
Bubble tea
Black tea with milk, plus tapioca pearls
Chewy pearls, rich and milky
Tang Sugar: bringing the old taste of Taiwanese black tea overseas
From one cup of foam tea to drink shops around the world, Taiwanese people shook an entire industry into being. Caitang International Co., Ltd. (brand name Tang Sugar) is proud of this chapter of Taiwan’s tea history and supplies drink shops overseas with ingredients for classic black tea:
This article belongs to Stop 2, Bubble Tea, of the Taiwan Stories series. Series opener: Tang Sugar brand philosophy.
FAQ
Where was foam black tea invented?
Most sources point to Taichung around 1983, where Yang Xian tea house, the forerunner of Chun Shui Tang, says it shook the first foam black tea; there is also a Tainan version of the story.
What is old-fashioned black tea?
It’s Taiwan’s traditional iced black tea: black tea boiled with sugar, cooled and served over ice, with a caramel aroma, common at breakfast shops and long-running stores.
What is 泡沫紅茶 in English?
泡沫紅茶 is usually written as foam black tea or shaken black tea.
Why does foam black tea foam?
Shaking tea, syrup and ice quickly in a cocktail shaker whips air into the tea, creating a fine foam.
How can a drink shop make old-fashioned black tea?
Boil black tea leaves with cane sugar or brown sugar to develop a caramel aroma, cool and refrigerate it, then serve over ice.
