Do you miss travelling? I sure do. People, sights, and sounds aside, so much of it was about discovering new tastes and flavours. About eating or drinking something for the first time and thinking, “OMG, people would go crazy about this in Singapore! Why don’t we have it there?” It seems the people at FairPrice agree because their Taiwan Fair 2022 (24 Mar – 6 Apr) brings you on a gourmet trip to the island. I got an advance preview of the goodies and, wow, was it good!
There are 4 categories of products: Shaomei Ice-Cream, Meiji Ice-Cream, I-Mei Salted Green Peas and Life Asian Drinks.
What I tried
Shaomei Brown Sugar Boba Ice-cream
Boba tapioca pearls in fresh milk ice-cream covered with thick brown sugar syrup.
This was my favourite! Like, sweeps 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place favourite. Most of the wonderfully chewy boba pearls are stuck to the ice-cream stick. Bite into the caramel-flavoured bar and you have to put a bit of effort into pulling the sticky little fellows off. I loved the mouthfeel! Taste-wise, it was at the perfect level of sweetness.
Shaomei Boba Matcha Latte Ice-cream
Brown sugar-spiked rice flour mocha encased in fresh milk and brown sugar syrup.
Matcha is the healthiest flavour of boba that you can get but it does require you to enjoy the flavour of green tea. I am on the fence with this one— I think it would have been better if they had gone just a wee bit easier on the matcha infusion.
Shaomei Boba Black Tea Latte Ice-cream
A combination of Taiwan’s famous red tea swirl and QQ brown sugar-flavoured pearls.
They aren’t kidding when they say ‘tea’! I don’t know how they do it but this ice-cream really does taste like the stuff I love from my neighbourhood coffee shop. If you demand truth in advertising, this flavour is for you.
Meiji Milk Cookie Ice-Cream
Crispy dark cocoa biscuits in rich milk ice-cream.
I know I’m not the only one who wishes biscuits contained more cream. With this ice-cream, it’s like all the cream from Oreo cookies got together and decided to gobble up the dark chocolate biscuit bits. The result is an ice-cream with a very pleasant rough texture. Nice.
Meiji Matcha Latte Ice-Cream
An elegant combination of matcha and milk with a pleasing white jade filling.
Compared to the Shaomei version, Meiji’s take on this healthy flavour was done with a less dense concentration of matcha. To me, that made it better; to those who love their matcha, this may not live up to the mark.
Meiji Red Bean & Condensed Milk Ice-Cream
Made with red beans and condensed milk, drizzled with brown sugar syrup.
If you love red bean desserts, this is the only choice for you. I found the ice-cream bar to be packed with soft little pieces that really made each mouthful so enjoyable. A sure-fire hit with the sweet-toothed among us.
I-Mei Salted Green Peas
I-Mei Green Peas come in 4 flavours: salted, wasabi, extra garlic and mustard. None of them contains any artificial colourings or flavouring, and all are completely free of MSG.
I received the salted pack, which was just lightly salted. Great choice if you are trying to cut down your sodium intake. Each piece was crunchy and crispy, and I think it’s the perfect accompaniment to a beer or soft drink.
I-Mei snacks come in a triangle pack so you can share with friends and family.
Life Asian Drinks
Life drinks are 100% sourced, produced and packed in Taiwan. Their entire range is free of preservatives and artificial colouring. The halal-certified thirst quenchers are available in 5 tasty flavours: Red Sugar Cane & Water Chestnut, Rock Sugar Starfruit Juice, Red Date Tea, Chrysanthemum Tea with Wolfberries, and Herbal Tea.
Red Sugar Cane & Water Chestnut
An all-time crowd pleaser, this cooling beverage has a crisp taste and pleasant sweetness. Most importantly, it is not made from concentrate.
Rock Sugar Starfruit Juice
This was my absolute favourite! Sweet, zesty and infused with Vitamin C, it was a great antidote to a hot day. I can see myself buying a carton of these.
Red Date Tea
Fancy 100% natural ingredients with no artificial flavouring added? Well, here is your dose of red dates, cane sugar, and wolfberries. I have always enjoyed the mild flavour of red dates and this drink captures it so well.
Chrysanthemum Tea with Wolfberries
Made with 100% natural ingredients and no artificial flavouring, this drink is brewed using whole chrysanthemum flowers blended with goji berries.
One of the reasons I stay away from Chrysanthemum-flavoured drinks in Singapore is that I find the flavour too strong. Taiwan seems to have found the perfect balance between infusing and over-infusing a beverage. This light drink was very enjoyable.
Herbal Tea
Made with 100% natural ingredients and no artificial flavouring, this low-sugar drink has been awarded the Healthier Choice Symbol by the Health Promotion Board.
I thought it would be hard for me to judge this one fairly because I am not a fan of herbal teas. However, it really surprised me in a good way. Just like the chrysanthemum tea, it was lighter than I feared. There is also a distinct grass jelly flavour to it, which I enjoyed.
Final Thoughts
This was a nice introduction to the flavours of Taiwanese snacks and drinks in a single afternoon.
The hot Singapore weather wasn’t very kind to the Shaomei and Meiji ice-cream. I had them out for just a little while before they started to disintegrate before my eyes. The strange thing is that they tasted even better in that soft, half-melted state.
If you prefer your ice-cream all prim and proper, though, take an ice box for the ride home when you visit the Taiwan Fair. Or just buy and eat straight away— that’s what I’d do.
You can find all the latest news on these products as well as a host of other Taiwanese fruits and snacks on the FairPrice Taiwan Fair page. Don’t want to go all the way there? Have them conveniently delivered to your doorstep using the FairPrice app (selected items only).
*This post is brought to you in partnership with FairPrice
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New in town: Ms Aiyu, Ang Mo Kio — Refreshing Taiwanese desserts to quench your thirst on a hot day
10 best chwee kueh stalls in Singapore for a cheap & light breakfast
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