Forget Bubble Tea-this cool, creamy drink is Taiwan’s best secret

On a hot summer day in Taipei, nothing fits with the shoulder -free chaos of a night market. Usually I come to the mission, papaya milk, Taiwan’s typical fruity drink, to track down for the street snacks fried. I recognize the providers that peel and cut football -sized papayas and then throw parts with milk at a milk speed. When I finally reach the front of the line, the seller gives me a cup. It is the best papaya milk that I had on my trip: cool and refreshing, with a floral sweetness made of tire papaya and a hint of sweetened condensed milk.

Taiwan’s most famous beverage could be Bubble teaBut real knowledge that fruit milk is the real star. Fruit milk, a genre of drinks that are popular all over Taiwan, get a selection of flavors. Some of the most popular fruits are watermelon, banana, guave, avocado, strawberry and my favorite, papaya. I tried Papaya Milk for the first time in 2019 when I visited the country as a student. Since then I have declined almost every year. Every time I visit it, I make myself for Papaya milk before I heard to enjoy other Taiwanese classics, such as: Popcorn chicken And Oyster Omeletts.

Back in New York, where I live today, I often dream of this creamy papaya milk. It is difficult to find, and when I do it, I am usually disappointed with the lack of tropical fruit taste. Although the drink is easy to prepare – only mix fruits with whole milk and ice – the fruits used must be in top maturity. Otherwise you have a boring drink that tastes nothing like Papaya. Since mature tropical fruits in New York are neither as often nor as affordable as in Taiwan, most Taiwanese restaurants or cafés do not serve the drink, and those who do not reach for the soft and ribest -available papayas.

Frustrated about the lack of options around me and decided to make my own. Papaya milk only needs four ingredients: fresh, mature fruits; Full milk; Crushed ice; And if you like it, sweet, sweetened condensed milk. Simply mix the ingredients smooth and foamy. Add more fruits for a thicker, frictional drink or more milk if you want to prefer it. You can also set the sweetness by adding more condensed milk to the taste.

A word of caution: It is best to drink the drink shortly after mixing. Papaya contains Papain, a natural enzyme that breaks down milk proteins such as casein and whey, which leads to an uncomfortably bitter taste.

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