Second-generation immigrant spreads Burmese culture through tea

Second-generation immigrant spreads Burmese culture through tea

2023-12-04

Burmese people love to drink milk tea, and it’s usually prepared hot. Second-generation immigrant Ted Yu has found a way to integrate the tradition with Taiwan’s popular drink culture to create a unique iced version. By opening a shop in the tea battleground of New Taipei City’s Yonghe District, Yu hopes to introduce more people to Burmese milk tea.

Authentic Burmese milk tea is made from strong Yangon tea, mixed with the perfect ratio of condensed milk and milk.

Ted Yu
Burmese second-generation immigrant
The biggest difference between Burmese and Taiwanese milk tea is the strength of the tea. You can taste the slightly astringent flavor of the leaves.

Ted Yu was born in a multicultural household to a Burmese-Chinese father and a Burmese-Indian mother. Growing up, this background made him the target of bullies.

Ted Yu
Burmese second-generation immigrant
When my classmates came over, they saw my dad wearing this kind of long skirt. They didn’t say anything right away, but the next day at school, everyone called my dad gay. My mom is part Indian, so she eats with her hand. While at my house, everyone just played video games or read, then the next day said my mom is uncultured and doesn’t use chopsticks. So after a while it made me reject this part of myself and I tried to hide it.

One day at an event on Myanmar Street in Jhonghe District, Yu was deeply moved by an older man struggling to recite something in Burmese. As he had recently been let go by a restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic, he took his familiarity with the industry as an opportunity.

Ted Yu
Burmese second-generation immigrant
Burmese milk tea is so delicious, I thought it should branch out from Myanmar Street so more people could try it. In the end I had to open here, but my shop is in a style familiar to Taiwanese so it’s more approachable.

From a drink that’s traditionally served hot, Yu makes it iced and adds sago, jelly, pudding or falooda. Although a familiar dessert to Burmese, it stands out amid the tea shop battleground of Yonghe.

Ted Yu
Burmese second-generation immigrant
I hope that Burmese milk tea can one day become as common in Taiwan as Thai milk tea.

Although his shop is small, Yu has filled the walls with items from Myanmar. Every day he puts a new Burmese fact or word on the blackboard. Today’s word, “working hard,” reflects Yu’s aspiration for sharing his culture while inching closer to his dream of being an entrepreneur.

This story was provided by the program "We Are Family"
Funded by New Immigrant Development Fund

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新二代余文華創業透過手搖飲推廣緬甸文化

2023-12-04

緬甸人習慣喝奶茶，但他們都是喝熱的，這位年輕的緬甸新二代余文華很有創意，他結合臺灣流行的手搖飲形式，把緬甸奶茶做成冰飲，還選擇在新北永和的手搖飲一級戰區開店，希望將緬甸奶茶推廣給更多人知道。

煉乳和奶水的黃金比例，再加上濃郁的仰光紅茶，充分混合，就是道地的緬甸奶茶。

[[緬甸新二代余文華]]
“緬甸奶茶的話，它跟臺灣一般的奶茶最不一樣的地方是，它茶味很重，你可以喝到它茶葉，微微苦澀的感覺。”

余文華出生在多元文化家庭，爸爸是緬甸與中國混血，媽媽則是有緬甸與印度血統，但沒想到這樣的背景，卻讓他從小飽受欺凌。

[[緬甸新二代余文華]]
“小時候同學他們來家裡的時候，看到我爸爸穿著跟我現在一樣的這個長裙，當下的時候沒有事，隔天去學校的時候，大家都說：他爸爸是同性戀。我媽媽有印度血統，所以他在家裡還是會用手吃飯，當下大家也是一起打電動，看書這樣子，隔天去學校就講說，他媽媽沒有文化，不會用筷子，只會用手吃飯，所以久了我就不想去承認這個身分，甚至是會去隱瞞這樣子。”

直到有一天，中和緬甸街舉辦活動，他看到一位老伯伯，吃力朗誦著快被自已遺忘的緬文，讓他深受感動，再加上原本在餐飲業的工作，因為新冠肺炎疫情被裁員，成為余文華創業的契機。

[[緬甸新二代余文華]]
“我覺得緬甸奶茶這麼好喝的味道，它應該要出華新街，然後讓臺灣人喝到，所以我才沒有選擇開在緬甸街，甚至我用臺灣人最熟悉的手搖店的方式，來推廣它。”

改變緬甸人喝熱奶茶的傳統，做成冰飲，還有加了西米露、果凍、布丁和冰淇淋的印度冰，這可是緬甸人的飯後甜點，在永和茶飲的一級戰區，獨樹一格。

[[緬甸新二代余文華]]
“希望有一天緬甸奶茶，可以像泰式奶茶在臺灣一樣，遍地開花。”

余文華的店面不大，卻處處是巧思，牆面上放滿緬甸的文物，小黑板上每天更換
緬甸文化冷知識，和緬文小教室，努力這兩個字，是他推廣緬甸文化的初衷，也一步一步堆疊著，他的創業夢。

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