Flour tea
In the childhood memory of Taiwanese middle-age people, there must be a piece of memory like this: A cup of sweet and thick flour tea accompanied them when they were very hungry at a cold mid-night. Today，the sweet smell does not exist anymore at the same cold night. In Yi-gu Store of Lukang Old Street, we smelled the flour tea while we were carefully listening to the owner talking about this forgotten flour tea history.
The origin of flour tea
(Figure 1) Flour tea came to Taiwan with Fujian and Guangdong immigrants. Today, the flour tea culture and custom is still preserved in China. People was poor in the past, so home-made flour tea could replace expensive milk powder to supplement child’s nutrition. Flour tea was the best cordial for the common people.
Big variety on the appearance of flour tea
(Figure 2) People used to drink hot flour tea in the past, but many innovative ways were created today. There are iced flour tea, and shaved ice with jelly, green bean, and flour cake. Icy taste is the best for summer.
The reasons why flour tea was so popular
(Figure 3) Not only flour tea was cheap, but also it was easy to be made. In a traditional society, normal family could make it at home. Also, only one cup of hot water without any extra seasoning can make a bowl of delicious flour tea. This is the simplest delicious taste.
Postscript
If you like the flour tea of Yi-gu Store, they have bag packed flour tea for you to buy home. Besides traditional flour tea, they have special made flour tea for vegetarian, so that tourists can have more choices.
