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.
What Is Guzaowei? The Meaning of Taiwan’s “Old-Time Flavor,” Its English Name and Signature Foods, from Old-Fashioned Black Tea and Tapioca Ice to Brown Sugar Cake
Key answer
Guzaowei (古早味, Taiwanese kóo-tsá-bī) means “the taste of the old days” — the traditional snacks and drinks Taiwanese people grow up with, such as old-fashioned black tea, winter melon tea, tapioca ice, douhua, brown sugar cake, old-fashioned sponge cake and candy from the neighborhood corner store. Guzaowei stands for simple ingredients, handmade methods and memories shared across generations, and many drink shops use the word as a selling point. In English it can be called old-time Taiwanese flavor or traditional taste. Tang Sugar supplies tapioca pearls, brown sugar syrup, winter melon tea bricks and more so these old-time flavors live on overseas.
Guzaowei: one word for Taiwanese nostalgia
In Taiwan, guzaowei is a warm word. It might mean grandma’s red bean soup, tapioca ice outside the temple, sweets from the corner store, or that cup of sweet black tea at the breakfast shop. For Taiwanese people working or studying abroad, guzaowei is the taste of home; for foreign visitors, it’s the most direct way into everyday Taiwanese life (further reading: a guide to Taiwanese food).
Signature guzaowei foods
Category
Guzaowei classics
Further reading
Drinks
Old-fashioned black tea, winter melon tea, herbal tea, star fruit juice
Nostalgia: Old shops, old streets and retro packaging are introducing traditional flavors to a new generation.
Natural ingredients: Guzaowei relies on simple ingredients such as brown sugar, winter melon and tapioca, matching today’s taste for natural food (further reading: the history of Taiwan’s sugar industry).
Drink shop innovation: Brown sugar boba milk, winter melon lemonade and old-fashioned black tea lattes have turned old flavors into new trends (further reading: brown sugar boba milk).
Tourism: Foreign visitors treat guzaowei as a way into Taiwanese culture.
Tang Sugar: keeping old-time flavors alive around the world
Guzaowei is among the flavors Taiwanese people treasure most. Caitang International Co., Ltd. (brand name Tang Sugar) is proud of Taiwan’s old-time flavors and supplies drink and dessert shops overseas with what they need for a guzaowei menu:
This article belongs to Stop 5, Fruit & Sugar, of the Taiwan Stories series. Series opener: Tang Sugar brand philosophy.
FAQ
What does guzaowei mean?
Guzaowei (古早味) is Taiwanese for “the taste of the old days,” meaning the traditional snacks and drinks Taiwanese people grow up with.
What is 古早味 in English?
It can be called old-time Taiwanese flavor, traditional taste or nostalgic Taiwanese food.
How is old-fashioned black tea different from regular black tea?
Old-fashioned black tea is boiled together with sugar, giving it a caramel aroma and more sweetness; regular black tea is usually brewed first and sweetened afterward.
What are classic old-time Taiwanese snacks?
Common ones are corner-store candy, maltose crackers, Kuai Kuai corn puffs, candied fruit and puffed rice cakes — childhood memories for many Taiwanese people.
Can shops overseas make old-time Taiwanese drinks?
Yes. With Taiwanese tapioca pearls, brown sugar syrup and winter melon tea bricks, shops can make old-fashioned black tea, winter melon tea, tapioca ice and more.
