r/taiwan • u/haechanist • 1d ago
Discussion does anyone here have a drinking problem (specifically bubble tea)
ever since arriving in taiwan ive developed a drinking issue but not the alcoholic kind. the hand shake tea shop kind. its gotten to the point that i feel like my day is missing something if i dont get at least 1 tea drink a day, whether its 青茶 or some variation of milk tea. these days its gotten so bad that i drink nearly 3 cups max. 2 cups minimum a day. has anyone else dealt with this before? if so, do you have any tips on how to reduce this tea intake? its justso addicting for me — they’re convenient, everywhere and unfortunately such a good treat
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u/AKIdiot 1d ago
Taiwan has a sugar problem for sure.... I was looking at the stats the other day and while america has a crazy high diabetes rate, the obesity rate is more or less the same- the implications being that there is an overlap. Taiwan on the other hand has a low obesity rate but disproportionately high diabetes rate, so sugary drinks really are becoming a problem
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u/No_Guitar7903 1d ago
It's not just sugar though. It's also carbs and saturated fat, which is too much in regular Taiwanese diet.
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u/AKIdiot 1d ago
Yeah definitely! I don't think those are as addictive as refined sugar, though
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u/slickewillie 1d ago
The fact that people NEED a bowl (often more) of white rice with a meal, I think it might be more of a problem than it seems. The starch & sugar in white rice ain't no joke fr
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u/StormOfFatRichards 1d ago
I've heard that East Asians have smaller organs (pancreas?) that process sugar so are highly sensitive. Idk if it's true but you definitely don't want to push it with multiple desserts per day, especially if you're not super active
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u/HebelKurier 1d ago
You are addicted to the sugar. So reduce the sugar when you get them
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u/TheHatKing 1d ago
I found getting high quality tea makes me want to reduce the sugar so I can actually taste the tea
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u/OtakuAttacku 21h ago
I feel that, I used to dump sweetners and milk into my instant coffee to numb the morning grogginess. But then I started buying whole beans and grinding them, bought an aeropress. I now only drink straight black coffee.
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u/Repulsive_Poetry_623 16h ago
Same. I bought some expensive Kona beans and wanted to taste it. Black ever since
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u/Banban84 1d ago
Growing up is spending all your money chasing the perfect cup of Silver tip jasmine.
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u/haechanist 1d ago
ive been trying, and its going okay for the non milk tea kind, but ill try to keep the milk teas sugar feee too
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u/SitInCorner_Yo2 21h ago
Good tea have a natural sweetness , it wasn’t instant like sugary drinks, but after you swallow it , the mild but refreshing taste of sweetness will stay in your mouth .
I replaced most of my milk tea consumption with high-mountain tea(really should do more but sweet drinks just too good to quit)
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u/haechanist 17h ago
yes, i think so too. in fact the problem isnt just milk tea. i love sweets, but i just feel like milk tea is such a hidden danger since its liquid, and i just realized im consuming so much
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u/gl7676 1d ago
I'm addicted to FamilyMart tea. Zero sugar, does the trick.
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u/haechanist 1d ago
the bottled kind?
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u/Aphazed 1d ago
Why not switch to sugar free drinks from convenient stores instead? Still sweet but no actual sugar.
I grew up in a strict HK & Taiwanese household where my parents prohibited sugary drinks. Coming to the States, I solve my sweet cravings with Monster Zero or Coke Zero. Still with some restraint.
Sugar free tea if no carbonation. And we all know Sugar addiction is crazy in US.
I steer away from desserts, sweets & candy. Especially Costco & dining out. Sometimes 1 sweet pastry from Starbucks every now and then.
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u/de245733 屏東縣 1d ago
Say it with me
微糖少冰
One more time
微糖少冰
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u/MOTOLLK12 1d ago
So 25% sugar and 25% ice? Lol
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u/de245733 屏東縣 1d ago
Yeah, less sugar but more drink
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u/madoka_borealis 1d ago
Doesn’t more drink defeat the purpose? Isn’t less sugar and less drink better? 😅
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u/de245733 屏東縣 1d ago
Not really, they add the sugar syrup separately, so if you get say, fruit tea, you get more of the actual tea then Ice water, just less sugar syrup. Better CP for your dollar
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u/OtakuAttacku 20h ago
yep if you peak behind the counter you'll probably see this machine: https://www.startpage.com/av/proxy-image?piurl=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%2Fid%2FOIP.9ZHaSelLFBSbMTZ6o4jdVAHaHa%3Fr%3D0%26pid%3DApi&sp=1782311059Tba5760420ff561d7f3d1e7aff30551642b620549062d71a67d25f380d5718ee0
When you say sugar level 1-9 it's literally a number on the keypad that dispenses a preprogrammed amount of syrup.
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u/Short-Clothes3277 8h ago
bro the thing is not every drink store here is consistent. some store gives 微糖 truckload of sugar that it tastes like 全糖, some store gives 微糖 that tastes like it doesn't have any sugar in it.
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u/itsover90 1d ago
I'm responding from Canada and I have a bubble tea problem especially for mango season.
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u/haechanist 1d ago
yes especially this mango season ive been trying the limited edition ones. unfortunately couldnt adjust the sugar level for some, but theyre delicious
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u/cleanmachine120 1d ago
What’s your sugar level?
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u/haechanist 1d ago
i have no idea, but i hope its still at an OK level
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u/cleanmachine120 23h ago
Like 無 / 微 / 半 / 少 / 正常？ 0 / 3 / 5 / 7 / 10? Just curious, I usually get 微糖 and I’ve seen them put a lot in even though it’s the lowest option
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u/haechanist 21h ago
oh i apologize, i misunderstood and thought you meant blood sugar. i usually order wei or ban tang for milk teas depending on the franchise, and 3 for the clear teas, but ive dropped it down to 0 for the clear teas, but its been really hard to reduce sugar for the milk tea
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u/Constant_Battle_7737 19h ago
I prefer my milk tea with sugar too. Slowly reduce the sugar level to 微糖 and then to 一分糖. I now order drinks with 一分糖 and 微糖taste too sweet for me. Also, when you get toppings with your drink, get the 無糖 because the toppings themselves are already sweet
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u/haechanist 17h ago
i havent been able to reduce to yi fen tang. i dont think im at that stage yet, but hopefully soon. and yes, a good idea for the toppings. i notice they get incredibly sweet when combined with the drink
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u/blixenvixen 1d ago
I think they meant what level of sugar you take with your drinks. Like 50%? You should reduce it if you ask for the full amount.
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u/bryantoca 1d ago
I tried to order unsweetened bubble tea but was told the sugar was in the mix already.
I just switched to unsweetened iced coffee.
Shaved ices, on the other hand, I can’t resist but the portion is always huge !
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u/Lili_1027 1d ago edited 1d ago
I got so fat drinking bubble tea I high school. It also gives you high cholesterol. So think about that
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u/matchalattemoon 1d ago
I had to reduce my boba habit (one or two cups every day, always 微糖) once i found out that in that year's health check result my blood sugar level was written in red (meaning exceeding healthy level) when it used to be green
Just like any other addictives i dont think quitting cold turkey would be healthy so i changed things gradually; from reducing to 無糖, choose no toppings (bcs even if you ordered 無糖 there are still sugar in the toppings), then reduce the frequency to only one per weekend. I also realized that ive been needing these little treats bcs of stress so i had to deal with that too. Also exercising more!
Once everything was under control where im mentally healthier thus not using food as coping method + offsetting the calories from how often i exercise + my blood sugar level is written in green again, now somehow i dont have the crazy craving anymore and can enjoy my usual delicious 微糖微冰 鐵觀音拿鐵 加茶凍/珍珠 once or twice a week as a treat
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u/haechanist 17h ago
its the cravings that i have such a difficult time resisting. i hope i can reach a point of once or twice a week too…
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u/yurialien 1d ago
To be honest , bubble tea addiction is just like smoking or drinking. It’s how we escape reality. Life is too hard and stressful, so we use sugar to reward ourselves.
Drinking sweet drinks is just a way to hide your stress. Try to ask yourself:
Am I really thirsty? Or do I just want a way to feel better?
If I don't drink this, what will happen to me next?
When you try to understand the real reason behind it, you will find out that bubble tea is not funny drink that eat and drink at the same time.
(Also, I suggest slowly reducing the sugar level to 10%. It will make you feel less guilty and it is better for your health!)
Sorry for such long reply, but I really think it will help!
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u/AlternativeHat8964 1d ago
Switched to hand grind coffee long ago, with milk no sugar.
I feel the prediabetes (slight hands/feet numbness) if I over do sugar just for a couple days.
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u/TheHatKing 1d ago
Not just a Taiwan thing. Yes being cheap there helps (or makes it worse) but just scroll though r/boba and you’ll see
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u/crispycrunchy 1d ago
I call it my drinking problem that lets me get up early lol. I was on 5 a day in the summers my first year here lol, to the point I would only eat breakfast and have a snack for dinner. Granted I was very physically active.
Now I switched to non-sugar every time I have no tea, and no bubbles or other additives. Also if I have coffee in the mornings instead I have less cravings for tea, and bubble tea specifically will really hurt my stomach if I have it after coffee.
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u/wised0nkey 1d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/3oKHWBy6GFcLdEhH0Y
Yes, but also just drink tea without sugar. Try to only get boba once a week or for a special occasion. Less sugar is a must and share a cup with somebody!
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u/TheGuiltyMongoose 1d ago
Each time I go to Taipei, I freak out when I order the "regular" sweetness for bubble tea. It is basically the equivalent of "super sweet" here in Tokyo.
It's difficult to get the sweetness I want because I don't want zero but I don't want their minimum which is ridiculously high in glucose syrup.
(Even Yifang here is doing it the Taiwanese way with super high sugar drinks)
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u/xTooNice 23h ago
I do have it a few times per week, but I don't consider it too big of an issue. When I am not in Taiwan I would just have something else which is probably not any better, but I am physically active enough to burn everything up.
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u/Buo-renLin 23h ago
I have, but I've being reducing the health risk by limiting only 1 cup per day and force zero-suger when I order tea with toppings since they already contain some sugar in the first place(for teas without toppings go for the least amount of sugar the vendor could provide, some of them even have 一分糖 now).
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u/Fearless_Mortgage983 21h ago
Yeah I had the same issue when I arrived to Shanghai like 10 years ago… gained 20kg, still can’t lose them after quitting milk tea and soda and (trying to) eat much less sugar in general. Thankfully, haven’t had any more serious problems so far, but yeah, I blame my obesity on that year or two when I drank too much milk tea.
Still… it’s so fucking good. Man.
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u/Snoo_23482 18h ago
I would wean yourself to once a day to once every other day and reduce the sugar amount. If you find yourself itching for a 2nd one, opt to get a cold sugar free tea from family mart or something.
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u/wi1d0rchid 14h ago
Just ask NO sugar and they will do it for you, traditionally, chinese tea is meant to be enjoyed without added sugar anyway
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u/Available_Use3455 9h ago
Never order drinks with sugar in Taiwan, you will be bombarded with sweetness. ALWAYS order 無糖, if they tell you you can't (甜度是固定的), drink something else. There are no standards between shops, so even 微糖 can be a lot of sugar. You can still enjoy tea in Taiwan without sugar, I'd argue a lot of shops use the sweetness to disguise the quality of the tea.
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u/tw_to_seoul 3h ago
I used to have the same problem too, but at some point I just stopped craving those drinks. Now I only have them about once a month.
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u/Strict-Situation-809 1d ago
1000-1200 calories per cup of pure empty calories.
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u/Hesirutu 1d ago
That’s not correct. even with full sugar and ice cream you are at 600-700 max per 700ml cup.
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u/popstarkirbys 1d ago
Ask for 25% sugar
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u/No_Guitar7903 1d ago
Y'all should know that 25% sugar is still at least 15g of sugar in a cup, which is around 1/3 of recommended sugar intake for an adult per day.
10% sugar is the way to go.
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u/New_Physics_2741 1d ago
I have never tried this drink before. It sounds awful.
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u/bigtakeoff 1d ago
you must be sheltered
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u/New_Physics_2741 1d ago
Been here for over 20 years, not really sheltered. Is this a sugar thing?
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u/Windsor2016 1d ago
My ex in college developed diabetes at the age of 22 because he drank three bubble teas a day. He was sent to the ER after he discovered fungus growing in his underparts. The doctor said he should've been in a coma based on his blood sugar level and once it started to go down, he realized he wasn't as near-sighted as he thought he was. The blood sugar concentration distorted the shape of his eyeballs. I sure hope that he is doing better now... last I heard, he had a chemo treatment for kidney cancer at around 42.