Shuxia Granny Tapioca Ice

Review

Shuxia Granny Tapioca Ice sits under a big tree right beside the main gate of Ziyun Temple, at No. 206 Dajie Road in Qingshui. It started as a simple stall under a plastic awning, and reports say it has been selling for more than thirty years, with one article joking that it rivals the temple itself for popularity. There is a branch nearby, but most articles point to this original stall by the temple, a common dessert stop after Qingshui rice cake and meatballs.

A cup costs NT$30, and you pick one to three toppings from the counter. Common choices are tapioca pearls, starch jelly, mung beans, basil seeds and pickled plum; various articles also mention nata de coco, grass jelly and konjac, so options change day to day. The amber pearls are bouncy with a brown-sugar, honey-like fragrance; the starch jelly is smooth and cool, and the mung beans are soft. The most recommended combo is pearls plus plum, which adds a sweet-sour finish; one article says the plum juice stands in for plain syrup and makes it taste even more old-fashioned. Toppings are ladled from big pots rather than small bowls, so portions are generous.

Most reviews praise the brown-sugar aroma, the textures and the portions, and the long-unchanged NT$30 price gets frequent mention. Still, one blogger found the mung beans not sweet enough and the ice a little coarse, and the topping list is shorter than at a typical ice shop, so anyone wanting flashy new flavors may find it plain. Many online photos show a special version with toppings on top; a regular cup has them at the bottom, so ask if you want the photo look.

Toppings are cooked fresh daily, and in summer the stall can go through about ten large barrels a day, closing when it sells out. Sources list hours as 08:00 to 17:00 or 17:30, and accounts of the closing day differ, with one article saying Mondays, so check before going; afternoon visitors often miss out. Cash only, mostly takeaway with very few seats.

It suits temple visitors who want an old-style shaved ice for pocket change. For a first cup, try pearls and plum plus either starch jelly or mung beans; in summer, go in the morning or before noon so toppings are not sold out.