Taiwanese Snacks That Confused Me at First… But I Love Now

When I first came to Taiwan, many desserts and snacks felt completely unfamiliar to me. Some combinations didn’t make sense at all. But over time, my taste changed - and now I find myself craving things I once avoided.

Chewy textures everywhere

At first, I really struggled with the texture of many Taiwanese desserts like mochi, boba / tapioca pearls, chewy jelly desserts, herbal jelly (xiancao). They all had a similar “QQ” chewy texture that I wasn’t used to. Now I actually enjoy it, especially in bubble tea or cold desserts on hot days.

Tofu pudding (douhua)

I don’t dislike tofu pudding itself - it’s more that I enjoy it because of what is added to it. The soft tofu texture is very neutral, but the real magic comes from sweet syrup. Without the syrup and toppings, it feels very plain to me.

Beans in desserts

This was one of the biggest surprises. In Poland, beans are almost always savory, but in Taiwan you will find red bean paste, (easily to be mistaken with chocolate) mung bean paste (I actually like mung bean cakes and mooncakes), bean ice cream or smoothies (still strange for me when whole beans are inside).

I can enjoy bean paste, but whole beans in sweet drinks or desserts still feel unusual.

Unexpected savory-sweet combinations

Some combinations were very hard to accept at first, for example salted egg yolk in desserts (lava buns, pastries), taro in sweet dishes (it looks like a vegetable but becomes dessert here), sweet potato in desserts or drinks. 

Now I can tolerate the yolk, but it is still not my first choice. I do love the addition of taro and sweet potatoes!

Seaweed in sweet or snack foods

Seaweed was something I strongly disliked at first in any sweet or savory context. But over time I learned to love seaweed in general, whether those are sweet seaweed rolls or seaweed chips.

Herbs and “savory” toppings in sweet foods

This one still surprises me today - coriander (cilantro) in peanut ice cream rolls, peanut brittle shavings or malt cookies. I honestly don’t know who thought of putting such an herb into sweets.

At first, I didn’t mind it too much. It didn’t seem very popular before, but this year I’ve started seeing coriander everywhere in Taiwan - milk tea (now a trend), cookies, chips, ice cream, and basically any food you can think of. Somehow, coriander has been added to it.

At first, I thought it must be a mistake. Now I just think: this is Taiwan.

Corn in desserts and drinks

Corn appears in Taiwan in ways I never expected. 

It can be found in ice cream, smoothies, breads, and even sweet drinks. In Poland, corn is almost always savory, so seeing it blended into something sweet was very unusual for me at first. Now I still find it surprising, but I no longer completely reject the idea.

Cheese foam on tea

Another unexpected combination is cheese foam on top of tea. This thick, slightly salty cream sits on drinks like fruit tea or green tea, creating a mix of sweet, salty, and bitter flavors in one cup. At first, I didn’t understand the idea at all. Now I see it as one of those uniquely Taiwanese “texture + contrast” combinations that somehow works better than expected.

Winter melon drinks

Winter melon drinks were perhaps the most confusing to me at the beginning. The flavor is sweet, almost caramel-like, but it comes from a vegetable-based syrup. It tastes nothing like what I would normally expect from something called “melon.” Over time, I started to appreciate it as a refreshing, lightly herbal sweet drink, especially on hot days.

Final thought

What surprised me most is that Taiwanese snacks often don’t separate “sweet” and “savory” as strictly as I was used to. Instead, flavors are mixed, layered, and balanced in ways that feel unusual at first - but slowly become normal.

And sometimes, what once felt strange becomes something you start looking for when you travel. 

I also tried to introduce some unusual Taiwanese snacks to my family in Poland, but they weren’t very impressed. I think the main reason is that they only tried them once and didn’t really have time to get used to the flavors or textures.

At the same time, I realize it works both ways. Taiwanese people may also find some Polish snacks and sweets strange or unfamiliar at first. Food really needs a bit of context and sometimes a second or third try before it starts to make sense.