Ever since several years ago, about the same time when convenience stores started having vanilla soft serve and all of Taiwan had vanilla everything.
Suddenly, like the new episode of Black Mirror, vanilla ceased to exist in Taiwan, almost overnight, all vanilla flavors instantly replaced with “Old Milk” flavor, forevermore, as if vanilla flavor never even previously existed. Only soured milk.
Years later, there’s still no vanilla outside Coldstone and Haagen Daaz. Not even fake vanilla. Taiwan was going crazy over vanilla when their soft serve first went out, so it’s clearly still a popular flavor.
Not sure why you’re surprised. Taiwan has always been into trends and fads for 6 months, and then dropped them like a bad habit. I’ve seen so many trendy novelty foods from Japan or Korea blow up here with eye watering lines, only to see the lines disappear, and then the stores shut after only a few months. I’m fully convinced that 90% of the customers waiting on line for these fad foods don’t even like them and just want to take pics for their Instagram.
Sure, vanilla isn’t a novelty. But it’s the same general concept. People were big into vanilla. Just like in another year they were big into cheese tarts or cream puffs or matcha crap or crepes. Then suddenly the sheep who are just on the bandwagon for social media reasons decide it’s not hot anymore or go on to the next shiny thing.
I noticed your same theory apply to beer. GOOD craft beer arrived and kept coming. Suddenly, overnight, it’s now all shitty white beer and sour fruit beer with 50g sugar.
