Wintermelon Milk Tea (Taiwanese Bubble Tea from Scratch)

Wintermelon milk tea is a Taiwanese bubble tea made from homemade wintermelon syrup, mixed with jasmine green tea and milk, then served with chewy tapioca pearls and ice. The syrup takes 45-60 minutes to simmer but keeps for weeks, making this a perfect make-ahead summer drink. It’s a really refreshing drink, served in summer all across East and South-East Asian countries.

Table of contents

• Hanelore's Note
• What is wintermelon?
• What ingredients you need
• How to make it
• Tips for the best syrup
• How to store
• Common questions
• Recipe
• About The Author

Wintermelon milk tea is one of the most underrated bubble teas you can make at home. Unlike fruity boba drinks that rely on artificial syrups, this recipe is made entirely from scratch using fresh wax gourd. The process takes a bit of patience (the syrup needs time to simmer properly), but the flavor is much better than ready made wintermelon syrup.

What makes this version special is the balance. The wintermelon syrup delivers subtle sweetness with grassy, cucumber-like notes, while the tea and milk round it out without overwhelming the delicate flavor. If you've only tried store-bought wintermelon milk tea and found it too sweet or artificial-tasting, you will love this homemade version for its flavor.

If you enjoy refreshing milk teas, you'll also love my Thai Milk Tea for something bolder, or try my Okinawa Milk Tea for a roasted brown sugar twist. My Sakura Latte is another beautiful option for warm weather sipping.

What is wintermelon?

Wintermelon is a type of wax gourd found all across South and Southeast Asia. The name 冬瓜 (dōng guā) literally translates to "winter melon," but the fruit is actually harvested in summer. It earned this name because its thick, waxy white coating looks like winter frost, and the gourd can be stored for a long time, well through the winter months.

In Taiwan, plain wintermelon tea is a popular street drink. I've seen vendors at night markets ladling it from huge metal drums, served with lots of ice. The milk tea version is a modern boba shop twist that has become popular over the last decade.

What ingredients you need

For the Homemade Wintermelon Syrup

• Fresh winter melon fruit: the main ingredient in this recipe. It's important to use fresh fruit for the most authentic flavor. For one batch of syrup, aim for a wintermelon slice weighing around 500g to 1kg (1-2 pounds).
• Brown sugar: any kind of brown sugar can be used.
• Rock sugar: strongly recommended for the most authentic flavor. Rock sugar is less sweet than granulated sugar, making it an ideal sweetener for drinks. It can be found in most Asian supermarkets. If you cannot find it, it can be replaced with granulated sugar, but add less by a ¼.

For the Milk Tea

• Wintermelon syrup: I recommend using homemade for the best flavor.
• Milk: whole milk works best as it adds the most creaminess. You can also use semi-skimmed or plant-based alternatives. For vegan options, I recommend using a flavorless option, like unsweetened almond milk or oat milk.
• Tapioca pearls: brown sugar boba pearls work best. I recommend using 5-minute Wu Fu Yuan brown sugar tapioca pearls because they're quick and easy to make.
• Green or Jasmine Green Tea: optional but recommended. Green tea and Jasmine green tea are the best choices, as they also have a very fresh and green tastes. This pairs very well with the wintermelon flavor.

Ingredient Notes

• Why rock sugar? Rock sugar dissolves more slowly during cooking, making it ideal for slow-simmered syrups because it sweetens gradually without burning. I recommend a ratio of roughly 1 part brown sugar to 2 parts rock sugar by weight. Brown sugar adds depth and a slight caramel flavor, while rock sugar adds sweetness without overpowering the delicate wintermelon flavor.
• If using pre-made wintermelon syrup: commercial syrups are significantly sweeter and less fresh-tasting than homemade. If using store-bought, cut the syrup quantity by 30–40% compared to what you'd use with homemade, and consider adding a small squeeze of lime or a tiny pinch of salt to brighten the flavor.
• How to choose the right tea: For jasmine green tea, look for packages with visible jasmine buds mixed in, which indicates real flower scenting rather than artificial flavoring. Taiwanese brands like Ten Ren or Chinese Fujian-origin teas work particularly well. Avoid tea bags if possible; loose leaf gives cleaner flavor.

Where can I find fresh wintermelon?

Fresh wintermelon can be found in most Asian markets that sell fresh fruit. Because the fruit is quite large, most shops sell smaller slices which only cost $1-2.

If you have trouble finding it, wintermelon is also known under these names:

• Dong gua or tong gua (Chinese name)
• Puhul (Indian name)
• Bi dao (Vietnamese name)
• Chinese preserving melon
• Wax gourd
• Ash gourd
• Tallow gourd
• White gourd
• Ash pumpkin

How to make it

I have broken down the recipe into three phases, so it's easier to follow. These are: preparing the syrup, making the other component and assembling the milk tea.

Preparing wintermelon syrup

1. Peel and chop fresh wintermelon into small 1-inch cubes. Mix it with brown sugar, then let the mixture macerate for at least 30 minutes. You'll know it's ready when liquid pools at least ¼ inch at the bottom of the bowl.
2. Transfer the mixture into a pot and cook it over medium heat. Add in the rock sugar.
3. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring every now and then.
4. The syrup is ready when the wintermelon flesh turns completely translucent (you should be able to see through the cubes)

Once cooked, you then have two options:

1. Use a sieve to keep only the liquid syrup and discard the fruit pieces. This will yield less syrup, with a milder flavor and extra smooth texture with no pulp.
2. Blend the mixture in a food processor to obtain a syrup paste, which is slightly thicker. The paste has a stronger flavor, and the final drink will have a grainier texture from the fruit flesh.

I recommend keeping the pulp, as this yields the most flavorful wintermelon milk tea. The syrup will need to cool down completely before being used.

Preparing the tea and boba

1. Steep Jasmine green tea in hot water (80C) for 3 minutes. Let it cool down completely, then refrigerate until cold. See my post on How to Brew Perfect Jasmine Tea.
2. Cook the brown sugar boba pearls as indicated on the package. Always taste test a pearl before draining the batch.

Pro tip: never steep Jasmine green tea for longer than 3 minutes. Over-steeping it makes the tea taste bitter. For wintermelon milk tea specifically, bitterness overwhelms the fresh flavor of the wintermelon. If you want stronger tea flavor without bitterness, use 1.5x the usual amount of tea leaves rather than extending the steeping time.

Assembling the bubble tea

1. Into a large serving glass add 1-2 tablespoons of wintermelon syrup.
2. Pour the cold tea on top and mix well to combine.
3. Add the cooked brown sugar boba pearls.
4. Pour cold milk on top and finish with a few ice cubes. Serve immediately.

Note: Many boba shops use 3-4 tablespoons of syrup per drink, but I've found that 1.5-2 tablespoons gives the best flavor for a standard 16oz (500ml) drink. Start with 1.5 tablespoons and taste before adding more.

How to store

This Milk Tea recipe is great because the wintermelon syrup can be prepared well in advance. To store, place the wintermelon syrup in an airtight jar and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

The flavor of wintermelon syrup actually tastes best around days 2-3 after making, once the flavors have matured a bit. After day 10, freshness starts to decline noticeably. Discard the syrup immediately if it develops any fermented smell (like alcohol or vinegar) or visible mold.

The blended version with fruit flesh has a shorter shelf life because the fruit solids can begin to ferment faster than the strained liquid-only version. I recommend consuming it within 1 week. Store in the fridge in an airtight jar.

Common questions