SipSpotHow to Order Bubble Tea in Taiwan: Sugar Level, Ice Level & Toppings
At bubble tea shops in Taiwan, you usually say everything in one go, in Chinese: drink name, size, sugar level, ice level and toppings. This page lists the common options and phrases, with English next to the Chinese.
The order to say things in
- Drink: start with the name of the drink you want.
- Size: medium or large; prices are shown on the menu.
- Sugar level: from full sugar to no sugar (see the table below).
- Ice level: from regular ice to no ice or hot (see the table below).
- Toppings: pearls (boba), grass jelly and more; each usually costs extra.
Put it all together and you get a complete order:
天然綠 大杯 微糖 去冰
How to say the sugar level
Listed in order of how many brands offer each option. The sugar levels you can choose depend on the brand.
| Chinese (show the staff) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 無糖 | No sugar |
| 半糖 | Half sugar |
| 微糖 | Light sugar |
| 少糖 | Less sugar |
| 全糖 | Full sugar |
| 正常 | Regular |
| 一分糖 | 10% sugar |
| 正常糖 | Regular sugar |
How to say the ice level
Listed in order of how many brands offer each option. Some drinks are only available cold or hot.
| Chinese (show the staff) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 去冰 | No ice |
| 少冰 | Less ice |
| 微冰 | Light ice |
| 正常冰 | Regular ice |
| 正常 | Regular |
| 熱 | Hot |
| 溫 | Warm |
| 完全去冰 | Completely no ice |
Common toppings
Listed in order of how many brands offer each option. Toppings usually cost extra, and each brand offers different ones.
| Chinese (show the staff) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 椰果 | Coconut jelly |
| 珍珠 | Tapioca pearls |
| 布丁 | Pudding |
| 仙草凍 | Grass jelly |
| 波霸 | Large pearls (boba) |
| 蘆薈 | Aloe vera |
| 愛玉 | Aiyu jelly |
| 小芋圓 | Mini taro balls |
| 紅豆 | Red beans |
| 寒天 | Agar jelly |
| 寒天晶球 | Agar crystal balls |
| 仙草 | Grass jelly |
| 奶蓋 | Milk foam |
| 綠茶凍 | Green tea jelly |
| 茶凍 | Tea jelly |
| 嫩仙草 | Soft grass jelly |
| 粉粿 | Starch jelly (fen guo) |
| 黑糖珍珠 | Brown sugar pearls |
| 杏仁凍 | Almond jelly |
| 白玉珍珠 | White jade pearls |
Common terms
Words you'll often see on menus. When showing the staff, point to the Chinese column.
| Chinese (show the staff) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 珍珠 | Small tapioca pearls |
| 波霸 | Large tapioca pearls |
| 拿鐵 | "[Tea] latte" means tea with fresh milk, no coffee; only plain "latte" or items labeled coffee are coffee with milk |
| 瑪奇朵 | Milk foam cap (salty-sweet cream), not coffee |
| 青茶 | Lightly oxidized oolong tea |
| 四季春 | A type of lightly oxidized oolong tea |
| 多多 | Yakult (probiotic drink, contains dairy) |
| 冬瓜 | Sweet drink made from winter melon syrup, no tea |
| 燕麥 | Oat grain topping, not oat milk |
| 奶茶 | Tea with milk; the milk (creamer or fresh milk) depends on the shop |
| 鮮奶茶 | Tea with fresh milk |
| 阿華田 | Malted cocoa drink (Ovaltine) |
| 仙草 | Grass jelly (black jelly made from an herb) |
| 椰果 | Coconut jelly (nata de coco) |
| 去冰 | No ice cubes, but the drink is still cold |
| 溫 | Warm (not hot) |
Use an order card instead of speaking
On a brand's English menu page, tap a drink and choose the size, sugar level, ice level and toppings. You'll get an order card in Chinese to show the staff, and it can also play the order aloud in Chinese.