Tag: bubble tea

Travel tidbits: Taipei

Having traveled in China and Taiwan for the first time since 2020, I have some thoughts. The past 4,5 weeks showed me many things that remain the same, have changed hugely or did not notice as much before. I will put some of these into words in my next few posts.

I am not made for a tropical climate. When we arrived in Taipei, my glasses fogged up as soon as we switched from an artificially cooled climate to the hot outside air, directly followed by sweat production.

The last time I had been in Taipei was quite some time ago, so the city was not that familiar to me. However, its atmosphere still was recognizable, especially its blend of Chinese and Japanese influences with local culture. I was surprised that everything felt a bit more rundown and old timey, especially when compared to the glitz and glamour of the big Chinese cities we just came from. Almost all of the vehicles also have gasoline motors, so that made for a lot of noise that is just not that present anymore in most Chinese cities.

One contrast that is still very clear, is the presence of religion. Although there seems to be a bit more interest in China for certain religious practices, it is of course heavily restricted and practice tends to feel very performative. Not so in Taipei. We stumbled upon some prayer times, holidays where statues were taken out, and many offerings (especially for the God of Wealth). Like Japan, the temples in Taipei vary from opulent to small and makeshift. It is clear that they really form part of the city’s and culture’s fabric, in a very natural way which I think is not that common in a lot of Western countries anymore.

Looking back to Taipei, I think it was the place where I felt most comfortable in my memories and experience. I remembered how good the bubble tea and local desserts are, how varied the nature is with sea and mountains so nearby, how bustling the city is but people do queue for the escalators, how weird it is to suddenly stumble upon some Dutch colonial history so far away (although I wrote about that earlier this year in Dutch here), how uninterested I still am in going up Taipei 101, how the night markets are nice to snack at but a bit hectic and making me nervous thinking about huge cockroaches. Although I always like to have a sense of discovery when going places, in this case a bit of recognition was more than welcome.

What to add to your tea: a rant

Anybody who knows me, knows I am crazy about bubble tea. It is something I developed relatively late, but got very passionate about quite quickly. And I am rubbing it in everyone’s face that I was smart to drink all that bubble tea while in China, because we do not really have it here in the Netherlands. Let me correct that: we do not really have it where I live. Let me further correct that: they do not really have it how I want it.

To be honest, as long as there is variety, I am a very easy person. Probably counts for most people. I only ask, for some pudding. We eat vla here, it is very similar. Heck, they eat flan in France and they literally throw that stuff in your bubble tea at Yi Dian Dian. And I know bubble tea is very trendy now. Especially the cream cheese variations. But it is not the same. In this sense, I am conservative and a purist. Just give me my pudding.

And sure, if you do not have pudding I may go for jelly. The grass jelly and bubbles go quite well together, complementing flavors and textures. I sometimes got very adventurous and would opt for some yakult and coconut jelly. But that is only if I did not feel like milk tea, which honestly would only happen if I got it 4 or 5 times per week to begin with. And at Yi Dian Dian (although Coco has my heart, let that be stated black on white) they had some nice coffee jelly as well, if I wanted a hint of bitter. Sometimes I would combine taro and pudding on cold winter days with warm milk tea for a drink that could actually serve as a dinner (snack), filling you up and keeping you warm at the same time. In summer I would often opt for the smaller bubbles, just to give it a different texture. But with pudding of course.

Although I sometimes strayed, it was mostly out of necessity. If the next Coco is 1 km away and there is a Happy Lemon next door, sure. If I really craved some bubble tea and passed by a Gong Cha, I would not say no. I tried Hey Tea! 2 times, once taking a special bike ride with a colleague to one shop where there wasn’t a crazy line. The other time actually waiting for close to 90 minutes because somebody else was treating me to it. And these lackluster experiences ensured I would never stray for long.

It is almost concerning that I am able to write longer pieces about bubble tea with an ease that does not come with many other topics. But I guess that shows you can really feel passionate about some things. I am eagerly waiting for the day I will be reunited with the few brands I would have points cards for. I used to have a Coco umbrella even! If they are ever opening applications for overseas ambassadors, I need to be first in line.

Summer is not the same this year. I hope it will soon be as I remember it.