On Dongsi Street in Beijing, the daily coffee break is undergoing a sea change. Along the popular city-walk route, lined with hutong and historic buildings, people are skipping their usual hot latte in favour of herbal milk tea, infused with ingredients such as ginseng and astragalus root, from nearby tea shops.
One such shop is Tea of Seasons, also known as Shunshieryin. At first glance, it resembles other milk tea chains. But a distinctive aroma sets it apart — the scent of medicinal herbs wafting from pots simmering with red dates, ginseng, mulberries and dendrobium.
Established by the long-standing traditional Chinese medicine brand Chang Chun Tang in 2022, the shop specialises in herbal infusions tailored to different seasons, each designed with specific health-preserving properties.
He Jing, the branch store’s manager and a university graduate who majored in TCM, said the drinks are developed according to the TCM principle that “food and medicine share the same origin”, with recipes formulated by professional nutritionists.
“They taste similar to milk tea while also offering health and wellness benefits,” she said. Take the ginseng and astragalus milk tea, for example: The distinctive flavour of astragalus root lingers on the palate after each sip.
Some customers, after examining the ingredients, ask which drinks can help relieve “internal heat”. This prompts shop assistants to recommend options such as mulberry leaf, chrysanthemum and aged white tea infusions.
Zhima Health coffee bar, founded in 2019 by Tong Ren Tang, another renowned TCM brand, offers herbal coffee varieties such as a goji berry latte and dried tangerine peel latte.
Its menu also features cold-brew herbal teas made with ingredients such as longan, red dates and lily. Among the shop’s best-selling products is a cold brew infusion called “goodnight water”. It contains poria mushrooms and spine date seeds — ingredients known for their calming and sleep-promoting properties — making it suitable for those who have difficulty falling asleep.
Conversely, for those struggling to shake off their slumber, another popular concoction is “stay-up water”. Infused with American ginseng and monk fruit, it is believed to help replenish energy and reduce “internal heat”.
The popularity of these herbal drink shops reflects a growing preference among young consumers in China for non-caffeinated and low-calorie beverages. Health consciousness is no longer the preserve of the middle-aged and elderly.
In the United States, drinking herbal tea has also become part of the “Chinamaxxing” trend on TikTok. From drinking ginger tea to boiling apple water to aid digestion and boost qi, or vital energy, young people overseas are increasingly exploring the benefits of Chinese-style infusions.
Sherry Zhu, a popular Chinese-American TikTok creator in the US, promotes the benefits of traditional Chinese wellness practices. Her content receives millions of likes, with many viewers leaving comments asking for recipes.
“Many foreign visitors also come to our store to try different teas,” said He, the Tea of Seasons manager. Both Tea of Seasons and Zhima Health coffee bar offer English menus for international customers.
While many people search for recipes online, beverage brands have introduced ready-to-drink bottled herbal infusions. In convenience stores, health-boosting drinks, such as barley water and red bean water, are increasingly prominent on store shelves.
Tea of Seasons also offers portable herbal sachets designed around the 24 solar terms. For example, an infusion of chrysanthemum and bamboo leaves is recommended around Spring Equinox to help “clear liver heat”, according to He.