Tunghai University Dairy Shop

Review

The Tunghai University Dairy Shop sits in the dairy cow area of the Tunghai campus and is the direct outlet of the university's dairy processing plant, selling products from the campus farm's Dutch-bloodline cows. Many Taichung locals and alumni grew up with it, and it is a regular stop on walks around the Tunghai area and the Luce Chapel. It is about a 12-minute shaded walk from the main gate, or roughly a minute by bike from the chapel or the horse stables.

The range is wide: fresh milk, drinking yogurt, yogurt and milk tea; frozen treats such as milk ice cream and milk popsicles; desserts including cream puffs, panna cotta, crème brûlée and tiramisu; plus cheese and frozen milk buns, wontons and dumplings. The milk ice cream is rich in dairy aroma, not too sweet, and smooth and dense. The cream puffs have soft shells and full fillings with a milky flavor close to the ice cream, much like Japanese-style puffs. Bread is baked only at set times; reports say Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday afternoons give you the best chance.

Visitors widely praise the fresh milk, the wide selection and quick checkout, and say ice cream here is especially refreshing in summer; there are parasols and seating outside. Note that two shops on campus sell ice cream, and some people warn against going to the wrong one; a 2019 article also mentions the old site now has another use, so follow the current location on the map. None of the sources list prices, so check on site.

Sources differ on hours: a 2025 blogger recorded weekdays 8:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:15, and weekends and holidays 8:00–16:45, while older data says weekends run until 18:15, with differing versions on whether it closes at midday; check before going. Visitors from outside are advised to walk onto campus; scooters can park by the wall at the main gate, and cars should use outer parking lots and walk in.

It suits anyone strolling around Tunghai, families with children, or those looking for a campus-only souvenir. Start with a milk ice cream or milk popsicle, then take home a bottle of fresh milk and some cream puffs; for bread, come on the right afternoon.