Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
As young people in China become more health-conscious, herbal drinks are growing in popularity. This is changing how they see traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is no longer just a way to treat sickness, but it is now seen as a trendy part of everyday wellness.
“Every new product we have launched has been hugely popular,” Yu Jia said. Yu is the head of the development team at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University. The hospital began making TCM-infused products in 2022 and opened a special store in 2024. Yu said the main goal was to offer medicinal meals for patients, but the herbal drinks surprisingly became popular with younger customers.
The sour plum slush, launched this summer, sold out on its first morning.
Consulting company Kantar Worldpanel said China’s drink industry grew in 2024 because of TCM trends. Data from research firm iiMedia Research showed the market for herbal tea drinks would keep growing.
