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.
Taiwanese Tea Culture: Why Do Foreigners Love Taiwanese Tea? From 1869 Formosa Oolong and High-Mountain Tea to Bubble Tea Bases
Key answer
Taiwanese tea has been reaching the world for more than 150 years: after Taiwan’s ports opened in 1860, tea became a major export, and in 1869 “Formosa Oolong” sailed to New York. Assam large-leaf tea introduced in the Japanese era led to Sun Moon Lake black tea, while Taiwan-bred Ruby black tea (TTES No. 18) and Four Seasons Spring, selected by Muzha tea farmers, are popular bubble tea bases today. Tang Sugar treasures Taiwanese tea and wants the world to taste it, supplying commercial tea leaves and filter-free and extraction tea bags to drink shops around the world.
A tea leaf that introduced Formosa to the world
Mist settles over the hills of northern Taiwan at dawn, with tea bushes terraced all the way to the summit. After Taiwan’s ports opened in 1860, tea became an important export. British merchant John Dodd saw its potential and in 1869 loaded about 128 tonnes of Taiwanese oolong onto two sailing ships bound for New York, where it launched as “Formosa Oolong” and was an instant success. Formosa was the old Western name for Taiwan, and that shipment let people on the other side of the globe meet Taiwan for the first time — in a teacup (further reading: the history of Taiwanese tea).
Teas bred by Taiwan itself
The story did not stop in the 19th century. In the Japanese era, Assam large-leaf tea was introduced from India, and black tea production developed around Sun Moon Lake from about the 1920s. Later, the Yuchi branch of the Tea Research and Extension Station crossed Burmese Assam (B-729) with Taiwanese wild mountain tea (B-607) and, after about 50 years, produced “TTES No. 18”, officially named in 1999. Its cinnamon and mint aroma earned it the name “Ruby” (further reading: Ruby black tea, TTES No. 18).
Another source of Taiwanese pride is Four Seasons Spring, a local cultivar selected by Muzha tea farmers. It buds early and has a bright aroma, making it one of the most common green-oolong bases in Taiwanese drink shops. Muzha’s Tieguanyin keeps a traditional roast with nutty, toasty notes, while charcoal-roasted oolong uses fire to deepen the brew — a perfect match for milk.
From teahouse to shaker cup: a new stage for Taiwanese tea
In the 1980s, Taiwanese people put black tea, sugar and ice into a cocktail shaker and shook it into a fine foam; foam-tea shops became the forerunners of today’s drink stands (further reading: the history of foam black tea). Since then, Taiwanese tea has lived not only on the tea tray but in shaker cups worldwide: black tea for bubble milk tea, jasmine green tea for fruit teas, oolong for fresh-milk teas — every base fine-tuned by Taiwanese tea makers.
Tang Sugar: bringing Taiwanese tea to drink shops around the world
Caitang International Co., Ltd. (brand name Tang Sugar) treasures Taiwanese tea and wants the world to taste it. For overseas drink shops and tea brands, the hard part is not buying tea but brewing the same taste batch after batch. Tang Sugar supplies the tea formats drink shops use most:
Format
Features
Best for
Whole-leaf commercial tea
Full aroma; you control the leaf-to-water ratio
Shops that value aroma and brew in large urns
Filter-free tea bags
No straining, fixed portions
Shops with small teams that want a simpler workflow
Tang Sugar’s teas include black tea, Assam, Ceylon, Earl Grey, jasmine green tea, Four Seasons Spring, Ruby, charcoal-roasted oolong and Tieguanyin, and can be consolidated in one shipment with pearls, syrups and creamer. For storing brewed tea and making cold brew, see how long brewed tea keeps and how to cold brew tea; to taste first, request samples.
Tea became a major export after Taiwan’s ports opened in 1860; in 1869 John Dodd shipped about 128 tonnes of Taiwanese oolong to New York, launching it as Formosa Oolong.
What is Ruby black tea (TTES No. 18)?
A black tea cultivar bred in Taiwan by crossing Burmese Assam (B-729) with Taiwanese wild mountain tea (B-607). It was officially named in 1999 and is grown mainly around Sun Moon Lake in Yuchi, Nantou.
Which Taiwanese teas are used in bubble tea?
Common choices are black tea and Assam (milk tea), jasmine green tea (fruit tea), Four Seasons Spring (green oolong), and charcoal-roasted oolong and Tieguanyin (fresh-milk tea), matched to each drink’s flavor.
Can Tang Sugar supply tea to overseas drink shops?
Yes. Tang Sugar supplies whole-leaf commercial tea, filter-free tea bags and extraction tea bags, which can be exported together with other bubble tea ingredients. Contact us for details.
What is high-mountain tea?
High-mountain tea usually means Taiwanese oolong grown above 1,000 meters, such as Alishan, Lishan and Shanlinxi. Large day-night temperature swings and frequent mist slow the leaves’ growth, giving a bright aroma and sweet finish. It is a semi-oxidized oolong, not a green tea.
