Black Tea Latte (紅茶拿鐵) – Chun Sui Tang

This is my last boba of my Taiwan trip before heading back to Japan, and was the boba I got yesterday morning at the airport. Our flight was pretty early in the morning, but luckily, I did my research, and it seems both proper boba shops are open from 6am. These are definitely my top priorities. I had already gone to Mazu Village in March, so this time I’m back at the classic Chun Sui Tang.

Out of the latte options, I had already gotten the Tieguanyin one last year, so this time I’m opting for the red tea/black tea option. They also have a basic, standard “boba milk tea” option, but I like getting fresh milk drinks, and opting for a fancier option.

The drink was pretty good! It actually wasn’t very sweet (I know I opted for 30%, but maybe 50 might have tasted better), and though slightly on the bitter side, it didn’t have a bitter aftertaste. The tea flavor was a bit on the mellow side, but the tea and milk flavored balanced perfectly. Chun Sui Tang’s boba tends to be on the baby side, truly pearl instead of boba, and it was a nice change of pace from the bigger balls to smaller ones. Nice chew, and not too sweet.

Oh my gosh, when I got my drink, I somehow managed to knock it over and spill it on the floor. I actually had a moment of despair and thought this was the end for my last Taiwan boba, but as I was trying to clean up the mess, the clerk offered to make me a new one. They did, and to confirm, I asked if it I had boba. I could have sworn I ordered boba when I originally ordered, but since the remade drink wasn’t officially written down, I guess maybe I did forget to add it. I paid the boba price for adding boba, and the new new drink came out. I’m so sorry to the people that day, and everyone was super nice about it.

Speaking of, I think I’ve solved the mystery of the giant cup. I was flabbergasted by the giant cup last year when I ordered my tieguanyin latte, and assumed maybe it was a tieguanyin (why else would I get a special cup?). However, my original black tea latte drink and the first remake of it, came in the normal cup. So did my my friend’s boba milk tea. However, when I asked to add boba, when they remade it, it indeed came in the giant cup, and again, with tape over the cap. I guess the consensus is that adding boba to a drink causes the cup to go a size up, and, you get the same amount of drink without sacrificing the space for the added boba topping! That’s pretty cool.

Details: Black Tea Latte; boba; 30% sugar; no ice; from Chun Sui Tang (Taoyuan Airport)