Bubble tea is an adored drink in Taiwan. Don’t let go of the chance to try the most popular bubble tea flavors in Taiwan when you’re visiting the country.
Did you know that April 30 is National Bubble Tea Day? It’s not only to celebrate the foundation day of Kung Fu Tea in New York but also to honor the bubble tea enthusiasts worldwide. The refreshing milk tea with tapioca pearls is expected to have a market value of $4.3 billion by 2027.
Bubble tea has become a global addiction that both young and older people enjoy. This article will bring you back to where bubble tea originated. Keep reading and discover Taiwan’s best bubble tea flavors and shops with us. Bubble tea is a nice gift too.
Top 9 Most Popular Bubble Tea Flavors In Taiwan
1. Authentic Pearl Milk Tea – Chun Shui Tang
The Chun Shui Tang bubble tea shop in Taipei is believed to be where bubble tea originated. The first-ever “cold Chinese tea” was served in the 1980s by the founder, Liu Han-Chieh.
His product development manager, Lin Hsiu Hui, is the one who unconsciously invented bubble tea. Lin was in a meeting when she poured the tapioca balls into her Assam iced tea. Everyone in the meeting loved the drink.
Even if Chun Shui Tang has expanded its flavors, the Authentic Pearl Milk Tea will always be its bestseller. The sweet and creamy boba tea with the original taste and chewy tapioca pearls is a must-try flavor in Taiwan.
While it’s a pioneer and tourist attraction in Taipei, boba lovers can enjoy its signature flavor in over 90 Chun Shui Tang branches.
You might also be interested in learning about the market segmentation of bubble tea and milk tea.
2. Light Oolong Tea With Bubble & Coconut Jelly – 50 Lan
This creamy and refreshing drink is not only a bestseller because of its chewable mini pearls and coconut jelly but also its health benefits. Oolong tea is a traditional Chinese tea made from Camellia Sinensis leaves suitable for fat burning, among other perks.
50 Lan has been famous in Taiwan since 1994, with over 50 branches scattered all over the country. Besides traditional milk tea flavors, it has a wide selection of drinks with a fun twist, such as its Oatmeal Milk Tea.
3. 913 Kings Oolong Milk Tea – Ten Ren’s Tea
Ten Ren’s Tea is famous for tea and ginseng products. It focuses on serving its customers the healthiest bubble tea. If you want a traditional milk tea, then this boba shop and signature flavor, 913 King’s Oolong Milk Tea, are for you.
This drink includes a blend of American ginseng, fresh milk, and Oolong with or without pearls. Ginseng has a sharp bitterness, but it’s almost nonexistent when put in the drink because of the Oolong and milk mix.
Ten Ren’s Tea offers other healthy bubble teas, such as Taro Green Milk Tea and high-fiber Matcha Milk Tea.
You might also be interested in our round-up of the most expensive bubble tea in Singapore.
4. Three Buddies Milk Tea – CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice
Are you fond of many toppings added to your milk tea? Then CoCo’s Three Buddies Milk Tea is the right drink for you. This signature drink has black pearls, grass jelly, and pudding.
With over 2,000 outlets worldwide and more than 30 variations of tea to offer, CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice is another popular store on the list, only next to the legendary Chun Shui Tang.
CoCo is also well known for allowing customers to customize their bubble teas and make their drinks according to their desired taste.
5. Fruit Tea – Yi Fang Tea
Another top bubble tea chain in Taiwan that offers its signature Fruit Tea is Yi Fang Tea. The drink is made with Taiwanese pineapple and passion fruit jam, apples, orange slices, and the ever-refreshing mountain tea. It’s a very cooling, fruity, and juicy drink where customers have the option to add pearls.
You can also try its versions of Brown Sugar Peal. Other must-try flavors in Yi Fang Tea are Wintermelon Tea, Grass Jelly Tea, and Passion Fruit Green Tea.
6. Black Sesame Tea – Soma Tea & Mocktail
SOMA Tea & Mocktail was founded in 2013. It’s a relatively new business, but it instantly gained customers and attention due to its delicious milk tea and mocktails. This bubble shop also allows customers to use skim milk powder or almond milk to make their drinks healthier.
The Black Sesame Tea is made with Taiwan’s ground black sesame seeds, giving the milk tea a nutty texture and flavor. Added pearls will also settle at the bottom with the ground seeds.
7. Taiwan Taro Milk Tea – Cha Cha Go
If you ever visit Taiwan and get thirsty in Xi Men Ding, Cha Cha Go bubble tea shop can quench your thirst. Since it’s located in a busy district, you may need to line up. This store is not only well-known for making Taiwan Honey Flavor Milk Tea but also for fast service.
The Taiwan Taro Milk Tea is a must-try bubble tea flavor. The drink has a generous amount of pearls and taro added to the creamy milk tea. Since there are different outlets, the taste and the sizes of taro may vary.
If you love bubble tea, you might also be interested in our guide on the best places to buy crystal boba.
You can always tell the bubble tea maker your drink preferences to ensure that the taste will pass your standards.
8. QQ Happy Family Milk Tea – Sharetea
Another famous bubble tea shop is ShareTea, founded in 1992. It has over 90 branches nationwide and more than 500 shops outside Taiwan. It boasts a modern ambiance, well-groomed staff, and special features like photo booths.
Its signature drink is not milk tea; it’s a lime, peach, mango, and strawberry mojito. But, one of its bestsellers is the QQ Happy Family Milk Tea.
If CoCo has three toppings, ShareTea has small and large pearls, pudding, coconut jelly, grass jelly, and red bean. It’s a creamy iced black tea with a bit of sweetness from lychee and brown sugar.
9. 3Q TP Tea – Taiwan Professional Tea (TP Tea)
Another pioneer of bubble tea shops in Taiwan is TP Tea which has already been in the business for over four decades. Its stores have a charming and warm ambiance, and because of this, it has become a meeting place and a tourist spot. Using its industry experience, it now has a wide range of tea options to offer.
Its bestseller is the 3Q TP tea, tieguanyin milk tea with tapioca pearls, coffee jelly, and QQ noodles. It has a complex flavor and creamy taste with no bitterness from the tea.
Are you new to the world of bubble tea? Check out our guide on Boba Tea Vs. Bubble Tea: What’s the Difference? to help you get more familiar with the drink.
