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.
Taiwan Fruit Season Calendar: What’s in Season Month by Month — When Pineapple, Mango, Lychee, Pomelo and Wax Apple Are Best
Key answer
Taiwan’s fruit seasons roughly run: spring to early summer for pineapple (best March–June) and watermelon (March–August); summer for lychee (May–July), Irwin mango (May–July), longan (July–August), passion fruit (July–September) and dragon fruit (June–October); autumn for wendan and pomelo (August–October) and grapefruit (October–November); and winter to spring for wax apple (November to the following July). Farmers also adjust harvests to supply some fruit all year, and actual seasons vary with the weather. Tang Sugar turns Taiwanese fruit flavors into fruit syrups, jams and canned fruit, so you can enjoy them out of season and outside Taiwan.
Why does Taiwan have fruit in every season?
Taiwan spans the subtropics and tropics — the Tropic of Cancer runs through Chiayi — and its elevation ranges from plains to high mountains, so temperate, subtropical and tropical fruits all grow here. Agricultural researchers and farmers have also lengthened many fruit seasons through breeding and harvest timing (further reading: Taiwan, kingdom of fruit).
Taiwan fruit season calendar
Fruit
Chinese name
Main season
In hand-shaken drinks
Pineapple
鳳梨
Best March–June (adjustable year-round)
Pineapple green tea, pineapple smoothie
Watermelon
西瓜
March–August
Watermelon juice, watermelon slush
Lychee
荔枝
May–July
Lychee oolong, lychee black tea
Irwin mango
愛文芒果
May–July (earlier in Pingtung, later in Tainan)
Mango smoothie, mango green tea
Dragon fruit
紅龍果
June–October
Dragon fruit yogurt, smoothies
Longan
龍眼
July–August
Longan and red date tea
Passion fruit
百香果
July–September
Passion fruit green tea, “passion fruit double”
Wendan / pomelo
文旦、柚子
August–October
Pomelo green tea, grapefruit green tea
Grapefruit
葡萄柚
October–November
Grapefruit green tea
Wax apple
蓮霧
November to the following July
Mostly eaten fresh
Seasons in the table are compiled from Ministry of Agriculture and media sources; actual timing shifts earlier or later with weather, typhoons and growing area, so check with local farmers’ associations before buying.
Taiwanese fruit through the seasons
Spring: the best season for pineapple and the start of watermelon; March to May is a relatively lean “in-between” period for Taiwanese fruit.
Summer: tropical fruits mostly peak from June to August, with lychee, mango, longan and passion fruit taking turns (further reading: Taiwanese mango).
Autumn: wendan season falls around the Mid-Autumn Festival, when Taiwanese people often give wendan as gifts.
Winter: wax apples arrive from winter, and grapefruit and citrus appear in autumn and winter.
Tang Sugar: Taiwan’s seasons in a bottle of syrup
Fresh fruit is seasonal, and overseas shops can rarely get Taiwanese fruit every day. Caitang International Co., Ltd. (brand name Tang Sugar) is proud of Taiwanese fruit and turns the fruit flavors Taiwanese people love into easy-to-store, easy-to-measure ingredients:
Fruit syrups: passion fruit, mango, lychee, pineapple, grapefruit and more, with 500 ml/700 ml dosage charts.
This article belongs to Stop 5, Fruit & Sugar, of the Taiwan Stories series. Series opener: Tang Sugar brand philosophy.
FAQ
Which season has the most fruit in Taiwan?
Summer. Tropical fruits mostly peak from June to August, when lychee, mango, longan and passion fruit are all in season.
When is Taiwanese mango best?
Irwin mango is mainly in season from May to July: Fangshan in Pingtung starts harvesting around late April, and Yujing in Tainan continues into July and August.
When is Taiwanese pineapple best?
The Ministry of Agriculture says pineapples produced from March to June are the best quality; farmers also adjust harvests so pineapples are available almost all year.
When is wendan pomelo in season?
Wendan is mainly in season from August to October, right around the Mid-Autumn Festival, when Taiwanese people often eat and give it.
How can drink shops make fruit tea out of season?
Use fruit syrups, jams or canned fruit — consistent in flavor, easy to store and convenient for overseas shops.
