[Exquisite Tainan Sweets] Recommended Taiwanese Desserts Reviewed by a Local Staff!

Hi everyone~ This is Pintan .( ˘˘ ).

When you think of Taiwanese sweets, things like boba milk tea, douhua, and mango shaved ice probably come to mind, right? 🥭☕

However, the world of Taiwanese desserts goes so much deeper… there are still so many more to discover! That being said, when you’re traveling, it can be a bit intimidating to try sweets with names you’ve never seen before.　

So this time, I’d like to introduce two
delicious local desserts that are absolute favorites among locals in Taiwan! ❤ Both of them are truly delicious, and I whole-heartedly recommend them! (^o^)

Grass jelly

What is Grass jelly?

Grass Jelly is a black jelly made by setting the extract of a mint family herb—popular across Taiwan and China—with gelatin or starch.

Recommended Grass Jelly Shop:
📍 Hei Gong Hao Nen Xian Cao (Chikan Branch)

A grass jelly specialty shop located just a 7-minute walk from Hamuya.🚶‍♀️

It’s an insanely famous and popular spot with over 1,400 Google reviews and an average rating of 4.3 stars! ★

The classic way to enjoy grass jelly here is with your choice of toppings and milk.

Menu↓

So, I ordered the “総合嫩仙草１号（Comprehensive Nen Xian Cao No. 1）”!

It comes topped with taro balls, purple rice, sago, real taro, and fresh milk ♡ The star of the show—the grass jelly itself—is tucked generously underneath all those toppings.

Since I’d heard that grass jelly comes from a traditional Chinese herbal plant, I expected it to have a bitter or strong, unique flavor.

But when I actually tried it,
it was super refreshing, mild, and absolutely delicious!!! ❣️

The jelly itself doesn’t have a very strong taste, so the idea is to enjoy it together with all the toppings.

The toppings also mostly bring out
the natural flavors of the ingredients, so it’s not overly sweet or heavy. The different textures make it so much fun to eat—you’ll never get bored!

The taro balls, in particular, were ridiculously good… (˶ˊᵕˋ˵)

Best of all, it’s really healthy, so you can indulge totally guilt-free! That’s definitely a huge plus.

Also, if you eat in the shop, you can order fresh milk as a topping—it’s so rich and makes it insanely good, so I highly recommend giving it a try! ✨

It’s so generous in size that even locals often order one to share between two people!

Lü Dou Sha (Mung Bean Smoothie)

What is Lü Dou (Mung Bean)?

It’s a green bean that’s slightly smaller than an azuki bean! While it might not be very familiar in Japan, it’s super popular in Taiwan.

It’s an indispensable ingredient in Taiwanese summer desserts and medicinal dishes ☺️

The mung bean smoothie I’m introducing today is a classic cold dessert drink popular in Taiwan and across the Chinese-speaking world, made by blending sweet-boiled mung beans together with ice!

Recommended Mung Bean Smoothie Shop:📍 双生 (Shuang Sheng)

It’s a famous mung bean smoothie shop located right near Chikan Tower in Tainan. Just a 3-minute walk from Hamuya 🚶‍♀️

It’s so popular that there’s a long line of people waiting every single day (・▽・)

Here is the menu!

The two drinks I’m introducing this time are
Lü Dou Sha (Mung Bean Smoothie) and Lü Dou Sha Niu Nai (Mung Bean Smoothie with Milk).

So I finally mustered up the courage and took the leap to buy a Lü Dou Sha Niu Nai (Mung Bean Smoothie with Milk)!

And after taking just one sip—oh my goodness! It was ridiculously refreshing and beyond delicious! 😭😭😭

It was so amazing that I intensely regretted not having tried it sooner!

There’s hardly any “beany” smell, and it has a subtle, gentle sweetness. The cold, icy texture is completely irresistible too (๑´ڡ`๑)

Even though it comes in a huge cup, the flavor is so smooth and clean that you can just keep chugging it down.

And so, having fallen completely head over heels for mung bean smoothies, I ended up drinking smoothies from this place three times in a single week… 🏃

On a different day, I also tried the Lü Dou Sha (mung bean smoothie without milk). This one was insanely delicious too, allowing you to really enjoy the natural flavor of the beans ♡ Personally, this one was my favorite! (^o^)

⭐️ If you usually like lattes or sweet drinks, I recommend Lü Dou Sha Niu Nai (with milk). If you want to enjoy the natural flavor of the beans, go for Lü Dou Sha!

⭐️ Since it’s super popular, the weekend lines get huge! Aim for right when they open or in the late afternoon, as it’s much less crowded then!

[Extra Edition] Taiwan’s Beverage Culture When Eating Out 🧃🧉

　Dining out is deeply rooted in Taiwanese culture! And their culinary style leans toward the sweeter side—beverages are certainly no exception!

Milk tea is a standard staple on breakfast shop menus, and at zongzi (rice dumpling) shops, people sip on Winter Melon Tea*¹ alongside their rice dumplings!

In Japan, water or unflavored tea is the usual go-to during meals, right?

In Taiwan, people drink juice during their meals 🙀 I found this cultural difference so fascinating!

By the way, I gave the local style a try and ordered like this too 🔽

My honest review? Some pairings work surprisingly well, while others might be an acquired taste!

Personally, I think the “breakfast with milk tea” combo is almost always a safe bet and super delicious, so I highly recommend it♪

If you ever have the chance to visit Taiwan, definitely give these local pairings a try! ☺️

*¹ Winter Melon Tea: A sweet beverage originating from Taiwan, made by simmering winter melon (a summer vegetable) with sugar for hours. Despite the name, it doesn’t actually contain any tea leaves!

Summary

Today, I introduced some of my top sweet spot recommendations in Tainan! Both of them are super easy to zip over to on foot from Hamuya 🚶‍♀️

As someone with a massive sweet tooth, having so many delicious sweets and milk tea shops right around Hamuya makes me ridiculously happy~

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　　　 n(･ω･)　Well then, everyone, stay safe and have a great day today!
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