5 non-alcoholic drinks you should try in China

Chinese food is famous throughout the world, especially wherever there is a Chinatown. Chinese drinks, on the other hand, less so. However, China does indeed have a rich beverage culture of its own, with all the color, variety and flavor you find in Chinese cooking. Here are some of the best Chinese drinks that you will find as mainstays in bars and fridges all across China.

Sweet soy milk

When it comes to soft drink choices, China has more than just tea. Another favorite beverage is sweetened soy milk, a drink that can be appreciated either hot or cold. The hot version is perfect for a classic Shanghainese breakfast of youtiao, or dough sticks, which were made perfectly to be dipped into the milk upon each bite. The chilled version can be found in most convenience stores across the country, but tastes best in the elusive glass bottles found in selected hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

Wang Lao Ji tea 

Wang Lao Ji tea commonly referred to by expats simply as “the tea in the red cans”, this is one of the most popular brands of tea. It goes especially well with spicy food and, as is common in Chinese tea brands, contains traditional Chinese medicine, so you can be sure you are drinking healthy.

Salt Soda Water

Before Coca Cola arrived on China’s shore and inevitably became the most ubiquitous soft drink in the country, salt soda water was the fizzy refreshment of choice for the Chinese, especially in Shanghai. It is still available pretty much everywhere, letting you enjoy the notes of mint and lemon that help balance out the sugary carbonation.

Cheese Tea

Cheese tea, though hard to imagine, is growing in popularity across China and elsewhere. It is made with a cheese powder that froths up to the top of the drink and acts as a sort of salty whipped cream. The cheese tea concept was born at milk tea chain Happy Lemon but has been adopted by increasingly more chains.

Pearl Milk Tea

One of the drinks from China that actually has broken through to other markets across the globe, pearl milk (often known as “bubble”) tea is hugely popular among young people. It is a combination of herbal or fruit infused juice full of tiny, chewy “bubbles” that are in fact made from tapioca.

Read more: The most popular noodle dishes to try in China before leaving

Source Internet