Healthy TCM coffee sparks online buying frenzy in China

Tong Ren Tang, a 351-year-old Chinese pharmaceutical company, has taken a creative route in trying to gain more customers by promoting healthy food products including coffee made with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), leading to an online buying frenzy in China.

The company, which is now the largest producer of TCM, has opened offline stores in Beijing to sell original health supplements combining Chinese and Western ingredients. Its healthy coffee series, such as motherwort rose latte, orange iced Americano coffee and licorice latte has become the drug store’s star products, with prices ranging from RMB 16-32 ($2.29 – $4.59).

“According to TCM theory, wolfberry is good for the liver and kidney, and is a superb tonic for young people who lack energy after staying up late. Our wolfberry latte is a combination of wolfberry juice and coffee, which is now very popular among young customers,” Li Shengli, a coffee master at Tong Ren Tang, told China News.

According to Li, the combination of traditional Chinese herb and coffee can satisfy customers’ desire for healthy and refreshing beverages, especially for young coffee lovers who are more attentive to their health.

TCM coffee is not the only health product to combine TCM and western ingredients. Tong Ren Tang has also created healthy TCM bread and porridge, providing a new option for those who crave both health and delicacy.

Many time-honored Chinese brands are now targeting young customers by launching creative products combining old flavours with modern elements. For instance, White Rabbit milk candy, a famous sweet brand that was presented as a gift by workers from Shanghai on the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1959, collaborated with MAXAM and Happy Lemon to launch a creamy flavored lip balm and White Rabbit milk tea respectively, which received a positive response from customers.