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Alishan Philippines' Taiwanese Milk Tea With A Filipino Twist


I guess my passion for tea and coffee never stops, right? As of right now, I haven't had a very active life and I tend to get stuck with establishments I enjoyed for more than a decade. Well, I'm glad that I do get flexible. What slipped right through me was that last year that there was the opening of Alishan Cebu at the Cardinal Rosales, Avenue, in Cebu City. The name may sound Chinese but it's actually managed by fellow Filipinos namely Francesco Dino, Robert Dino, Maria Victoria Osmeña, and Juvy Osmeña. Alishan Philippines describes itself as:
Who We Are

Our purpose was to bring authentic Taiwanese artistry to the Philippines through milk tea. We source our ingrdeients like tapioca and brown sugar from organic farms, always putting great importance to our customers health. Our brown sugar is high in calcium, potassium and iron. It prevents tooth decay. improves resistance to stress, and even lowers cholesterol. Through minimal processing, we are able to maintan the highest nutrient content possible.

MISSION 
To give our customers a place to celebrate life's special moments and to inspire healthier communities by connecting people to great tasting, healthy and organic beverages.

VISION 
We aim to be the leader in the beverage market with our distinct flavour and customers health as our top priority. We are committed and dedicated in setting forth a brand that will not only satisfy cravings of our customers but will also encourage wellness by offering high-quality and organic ingredients in all products.

I'd like to share this excerpt from Cebu Daily News on the brand that Alishan Cebu brings:
Officially opened last June 18, 2022, at Taft East Gate, Alishan, the first of its brand to open outside Manila, brings Taiwan’s authentic milk tea flavors closer to Cebuanos and milk tea-lovers.

The tea Alishan Cebu uses for their milk tea products is from the Alishan Mountains of Taiwan. Although authentic, they put a local twist on this flavor to complement Filipino taste buds.

Juvy Osmeña said, “Basically, all our major products are from Taiwan. And then the edge is customers really have to try our product to get the entire experience of Taiwan’s authentic milk tea taste, but with a local twist.”

I've tasted brown sugar pearl milk tea (波霸黑糖奶茶 in traditional Chinese) from different establishments like Tiger Sugar, Chatime, ITealicious, and Jolly Bubble. I also decided to try theirs as well. Normally, I prefer fruit tea over milk tea but there are times the body can just crave sugar. I did end up enjoying their brown sugar pearl milk tea--adding up to the list of brown sugar milk tea that I enjoyed. I'm yet to try their fruit teas though. 

It's said that the British popularized the idea of milk tea. China used to be a British colony. That's when Taiwan was still part of China. This is an interesting tidbit from Taste of Home concerning why milk was added to tea:

The Brits’ habit of putting milk in tea extends all the way back to the 18th century, from the time when tea was brewed in pots. Tea was a big deal at the time, and people tended to drink it out of china cups. However, most people couldn’t afford fancy fine bone china, and the cups available would crack from the heat of the boiling hot tea.

The solution? Pour milk into the cup first, then add the tea. The cold milk cooled down the tea enough to keep the china from breaking, and well, the reduced bitterness was just an added benefit! According to some sources, tea was also incredibly valuable at the time, so families who couldn’t afford large amounts would add a large amount of milk and a splash of tea, while well-off families tended to do the opposite.

I feel that this is pretty much an evolution and a mixture of cultures. The British popularized milk tea. In the 1980s, we would have the invention of tapioca pearls in Taiwan. We could read about bubble tea's history. A certain Liu Han Chieh introduced pearl. Now, Taiwanese milk tea has become worldwide. It entered the Philippines and has somehow become a popular addition to the Filipino taste. It's not surprising that there's also Kahatea (a Filipino-style milk tea). Alishan Cebu becomes an establishment bringing a Taiwanese drink with a local twist. 

I think Alishan Cebu is successful in doing two things. Introducing Filipinos to more of Taiwan's culture. They also managed to add a local twist that has kept it going. There's still the local twist which I think leaves me guessing. I wonder if the delicious brown sugar they use is actually locally produced. This is also proof that local businesses can survive in the midst of foreign competition if they really value innovation and quality. It's pretty much how Jollibee (now a Filipino MNC) has survived foreign competition for several decades now. 

Regardless, here's me wishing the best for this business due to its delicious brown sugar pearl milk tea.  

References

Websites

"Alishan brings authentic Taiwanese milk tea with a local twist" by Christian Orellano (June 20, 2022)

"Bubble Tea History" 

"Why Do the Brits Put Milk in Tea?" by Amrita Thakkar (Updated: September 30, 2021)

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