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.
Tapioca Pearls vs Boba: The Difference Between Fenyuan, Pearls and Boba, and the Chewy “QQ” Texture Taiwan Invented
Key answer
Pearls are the soul of Taiwanese bubble tea. According to English Wikipedia, early Taiwanese pearls were only about 2.1 mm in diameter before growing into the 5–10 mm pearls and boba common today. Pearls are made mainly from tapioca (cassava) starch; what makes them chewy and delicious is the craft of kneading, shaping, steaming and drying, plus the drink shop’s cooking skill. Taiwanese people named this texture “QQ” and took it around the world. Tang Sugar is proud of Taiwanese pearl craftsmanship and supplies all kinds of tapioca pearls wholesale.
A texture Taiwan invented: QQ
When Taiwanese people praise a good pearl, they say it is “very Q”. The word describes a bite that is springy without being hard, and it is one of the defining traits of Taiwanese snacks: fenyuan, taro balls, mochi and fen guo all chase this Q (further reading: what are taro balls?, what is fen guo?). Added to milk tea, this familiar Taiwanese texture became a brand-new experience for the world.
From 2 mm fenyuan to boba
English Wikipedia notes that early Taiwanese pearls were only about 2.1 mm across, while today’s commercial pearls are usually 5–10 mm. The bigger pearls were nicknamed “boba” (波霸), a name that later traveled to the US and became the English word boba (further reading: what bubble tea is called in English). In 2017, Tiger Sugar on Yizhong Street in Taichung went viral with brown sugar pearls and its “tiger stripe” cups, sparking a global brown sugar boba craze (further reading: how to make brown sugar boba milk, the Tiger Sugar story).
The craft behind a single pearl
Pearls are made mainly from tapioca (cassava) starch. Cassava is native to South America, and Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of tapioca starch (further reading: what is tapioca starch?). Turning starch into chewy pearls takes craft; factory production roughly follows five steps:
Boba are larger pearls. Early Taiwanese pearls were about 2.1 mm across, while today’s commercial pearls are usually 5–10 mm; brands don’t all use the same names for each size.
What are tapioca pearls made of?
Mainly tapioca (cassava) starch, which is kneaded, shaped, surface-gelatinized, steamed and dried. Some products add sugar or caramel for color and flavor — check the product label.
Should a drink shop use raw, frozen or shelf-stable pearls?
Shops with steady sales suit raw pearls; small teams can choose frozen pearls; retail, delivery and DIY kits suit shelf-stable pearls.
Can Tang Sugar export tapioca pearls wholesale?
Yes. Tang Sugar wholesales and exports many kinds of pearls, which can be consolidated with other ingredients. Contact us for specifications and quotes.
Are fenyuan and pearls the same thing?
They are made of the same tapioca starch. In Taiwan the small ones were traditionally called fenyuan, often served on shaved ice; the larger ones used in milk tea are called pearls, and the biggest are boba. Most drink shops now use the terms interchangeably; the main difference is size and texture.
