When I was writing this article, I came across a news report saying that Taiwan’s boba tea industry generates around NTD $ 7 billion dollars a year. The competition here is wild!
A friend of mine once walked down a single street and counted 10 different drink shops. And honestly, I wasn’t even surprised.
You’ve probably heard of bubble tea, but Taiwan is famous for all kinds of made-to-order, hand-shaken drinks.
Some of the most popular chains include 50 Lan (50嵐), UNO (烏弄), CoCo (都可), Ching Shin Fu Chuan (清心福全), Oolong Tea Project #Dejeng (#得正), Milksha (迷克夏), MACU TEA (麻古茶坊), Chatime (日出茶太), and Kebuke (可不可).
And there are so many other drink shops out there that I honestly couldn’t count them all. Each shop has its own menu, flavors, and specialties.
So, how do you order your perfect drink?
In Taiwan, customizing your drink is completely normal. When you order, you’ll usually be asked about four things:
| Size尺吋 | Sweetness Level甜度 / tián dù |
| Ice Level冰塊 / bīng kuài | Toppings加料 / jiā liào |
🥤 Size
L (Large)
Usually around 700 ml
M (Medium)
Usually around 500 ml
🍯 Sweetness Level
Regular Sugar: 100%
The standard amount of sugar
Less Sugar: 70%
Half Sugar: 50%
Light Sugar: 30%
A popular choice among locals
No Sugar: 0%
Also a very common choice
🧊 Ice Level
Regular Ice
A standard amount of ice cubes
Less Ice
Light Ice / Low Ice
No Ice
🥥 Toppings
Boba / Tapioca Pearls: 珍珠
Coconut Jelly: 椰果
Grass Jelly: 仙草凍
Pudding: 布丁
Almond Jelly: 杏仁凍
So you might order something like:
“Medium, half sugar, light ice, with boba.”
And there you go! You’ve just ordered a very typical Taiwanese hand-shaken drink. 🎉
A couple of local tips
Plastic bags usually cost extra, so don’t be surprised if the cashier asks whether you need one.
And if you bring your own reusable cup, some drink shops offer a small discount. It’s a simple way to save a little money and reduce plastic waste.
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Drinks are more than just something to cool you down on a hot day in Taiwan. They’ve become part of our everyday culture.
From traditional tea shops to modern hand-shaken drink shops, you can find them on almost every corner.
That’s why, if you visit Taiwan, don’t just try bubble tea. Take a look at the menu, pick a sweetness and ice level, add some toppings, and order a drink the way the locals do.
You might just discover your new favorite Taiwanese drink.