TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — To ride the pearl milk tea pizza frenzy in Taiwan started by rival Domino's Pizza in October, Pizza Hut released its own version on Friday (Nov. 1).

In addition to serving as a sweet beverage in Taiwan, where the worldwide pearl milk tea craze began, the popular drink has also manifested as food, including pearl tea pancakes, pearl milk ice cream cones, and pearl milk pudding. According to internal research data by Domino's Pizza, consumption of non-staple foods is higher in autumn and winter than other seasons.

When autumn and early winter arrives, the proportion of dessert sales is 20 percent higher than in summer, reported EBC. After many months of research and development, Domino's Pizza released the "Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea Pizza" on Oct. 28.

Although many foreign netizens expressed revulsion at the unholy union of New York crust, mozzarella cheese, tapioca pearls, and mochi, others, including a UC Irvine scholar, found it "incredible." Eager to get a slice of the sweet, gooey pizza pie market, Pizza Hut has followed suit with its own take on the controversial concoction.

On Friday, Pizza Hut unleashed the "QQ Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea Pizza" (QQ黑糖珍奶比薩) on the Taiwan market. Pizza Hut's creation consists of pizza crust, shredded mozzarella cheese, brown sugar tapioca pearls, and a milk tea sauce drizzled on top in a grid pattern.

The milk tea sauce is made from sweet Ceylon Black Milk Tea, which contrasts sharply with the salty, melted mozzarella cheese. The sacchariferous pies are being sold in only one size - large - for the price of NT$329 from Nov. 1 to Dec. 30.

Taiwanese netizens have had a strong reaction to the new pearl tea pizza phenomenon:

"And I thought that stinky tofu pizza was crazy."

"Italians and Taiwanese are going to explode with anger."

"One dish that makes both places angry."

"I'd like one pearl tea milk pizza, half sugar, and no ice."

"It's time to go to war with Italy."

"So [Taiwan's] Napoli pizza wants to make a pearl milk tea roasted chicken legs now?"

"Challenging Italians to their limit."

"This should be sold to Japanese."