Papaya milk is a thick Taiwanese drink made by blending ripe, peeled and seeded papaya with ice and cold milk, and it is most closely tied to the street-drink cultures of Kaohsiung and Changhua. Kaohsiung summers regularly push past 35°C, and outside the old shop on Zhonghua 3rd Road a queue forms daily; the glass case is stacked with deep-orange ripe papayas, ice and milk churning loudly in the blender. A cup lands in your hand heavy and cold — the drink Kaohsiung locals have cooled off with since childhood.
There is no consensus on who invented papaya milk: Kaohsiung Milk King, founded by Zhong Wenliang in 1966, claims to be the originator; Changhua's rival Papaya Milk King, founded by Lu Xinzhang in 1968, opened just two years later. The Taiwan Beverage Mixing Association also credits Chen Hongzong of Taichung's Zhonghua Road Night Market in 1971 as an early proponent. The origin remains disputed among historians and industry sources.
What is Papaya Milk?
Papaya milk is a thick, smooth drink made by blending ripe papaya — seeded and peeled — with ice and cold milk. The Taiwanese version has three defining traits: Taiwan-grown red-flesh papaya for its aroma and sweetness; no water added, only milk as the liquid base; and just the right amount of ice to keep it thick without becoming overly sweet. In one cup, the fruit's floral notes and the dairy's creaminess layer together — a defining item in Taiwan's street drink culture.
Both Kaohsiung and Changhua have local traditions that claim origin of papaya milk; there is no consensus among food historians or the beverage industry, and it is best understood as a product of the broader southern Taiwan street culture. Kaohsiung Niu Ru Da Wang (Kaohsiung Milk King) has operated at the Zhonghua 3rd Road corner since 1966 and has long been cited by media as one of the reference old shops for papaya milk in southern Taiwan. Zheng's Old Brand Papaya Milk at Liuhe Night Market is a perennial queue draw for tourists, cementing the connection between papaya milk and Kaohsiung's night market culture.
How to drink it like a local
Local knowledge
Objective credentials (filtered for sponsored content)
- Kaohsiung Milk King was founded in 1966 at the Zhonghua 3rd Road corner and has long been listed by media as one of southern Taiwan's reference papaya milk shops.
- Zheng's Old Brand Papaya Milk at Liuhe Night Market is a high-traffic tourist stall and one of the night market's representative drinks.
- Both Kaohsiung and Changhua have local origin claims for papaya milk. This guide uses neutral language and does not attribute a single point of origin.
Practical tips
- Queues are longer in summer; weekday afternoons or after 9 p.m. are less crowded. Papaya supply may fluctuate during typhoon season.
- Kaohsiung Milk King is within easy walking distance of the Kaohsiung City Council and Light of Love Corridor.
- Liuhe Night Market stalls typically open from late afternoon to late night — going during the day may result in nothing being open.
Information compiled from the Michelin Guide, Kaohsiung City Government Tourism Bureau, and a large body of public reviews, filtered for sponsored content. Photos to be replaced with channel-original material after Dio's on-site shoot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented papaya milk?
There's no consensus — Kaohsiung Milk King (founded 1966) and Changhua's Papaya Milk King (founded 1968) both claim to be the originator, and no scholarly conclusion has settled the question.
Where is Kaohsiung Milk King located?
Kaohsiung Milk King was founded in 1966, and its main shop is currently at the corner of Zhonghua 3rd Road and Minsheng Road.
How should you drink papaya milk like a local?
Order the original flavor first, choose less ice for the richest texture, and pair it with night market snacks while walking, as locals do.
Sources
- 發明「木瓜牛奶」牛乳大王是誰？高雄創始店這一點敢比彰化大聲 - 城市學 — 高雄1966年、彰化1968年起源爭議完整說明
- 高雄牛乳大王 - 維基百科 — 鍾文梁1966年創立、現址中華三路