According to the user survey of the "2020 New Tea Drinks White Paper", people born in the 1990s and 2000s have become the mainstream consumers of new tea drinks. As they enter the workplace, economic development and the improvement of quality of life require higher standards for health and taste. Milk tea with a single form and a single taste can no longer satisfy their taste buds.
As popular milk tea and fruit tea on the market, they influence and refer to each other. Although they are all new tea drinks, their tastes are very different. So what is the difference between them?
Bubble milk tea is a kind of "bubble black tea" culture in Taiwan Province, China. At first, it was a beverage made by merchants in the Taichung area by adding fresh milk and soft Q tapioca balls to black tea and mixing them. Although only tapioca balls are added to milk tea, it has become one of the most representative beverages and snacks in Taiwan. In a word, it is a mixed drink of milk and tea. Different tea bases, different milk quality, different ratios, and different production methods can make milk tea with different tastes. For example, English milk tea and Hong Kong-style silk stocking milk tea are among the best, and some consumers still love them deeply. However, people's tastes are not constant. Even if you eat delicacies every day, you will get tired of them, let alone milk tea? The biggest feature of this type of milk tea is that you will feel sweet and greasy after drinking too much. When you drink too much, the sweetness will be a bit choking, especially after drinking, there will be a sticky feeling in the throat and deep in the mouth, lacking a refreshing feeling.
Speaking of a refreshing feeling, fruit tea is naturally much more obvious than milk tea. Peel and cut the sour or sweet fruit, either squeeze out the juice, or cut into cubes and slices, and then put it into the cooked tea soup, or boil and steam it with the tea soup, and add honey or white sugar for adjustment. In addition to the sweet and sour taste of the fruit, there is also the fragrance of tea, especially when it is placed in a glass cup, the color is bright, and it always gives people a sense of vibrant summer. Although fruit tea is both beautiful and healthy, it will appear a bit monotonous in taste. Our fruit tea series caters to most tastes. For example, the Yakult Lemon and Jasmine Flavor Canned Fruit Tea features a 3.6 pH value, a sour taste that stimulates salivation. The bitter glycosides in the lime peel oil balance the sweetness, leaving a refreshing aftertaste. The addition of erythritol creates a 10-second tartness before a smooth transition to sweetness.
| Ingredients | Fruit tea | Milk tea |
| Tea base | Green tea/oolong tea and other refreshing teas are the main | Black tea/roasted tea and other strong teas are the main |
| Main flavor source | Fresh fruit or jam | Milk/creamer/non-dairy creamer |
| Sweeteners | Fructose/honey (lower sweetness) | Sucrose/condensed milk (higher sweetness) |
| Common additives | Agar/coconut/lemon slices | Pearls/pudding/milk cap |
| Ingredients | Fruit tea | Milk tea |
| Calorie | 200-300 kcal/cup (sugar-free version can be <100 kcal) | 300-500 kcal/cup (milk cap version can reach 700 kcal) |
| Fat content | Almost zero | The full sugar and full milk version contains 10-20g of fat |
| Nutritional value | Vitamin C + tea polyphenols | Protein + calcium |
| Health risks | Excessive fructose may damage the liver | Trans fatty acids (non-dairy creamer version) |
Tea drinks are so popular in China, will they be popular in the United States? When the successful model of fruit tea and milk tea in the Chinese market is transplanted to the United States, it will face the dual challenges of cultural adaptation and localization transformation, but its popularity potential is gradually being released.
| Scenario | Recommended category | Reason | Representative product |
| High temperature in summer (>30℃) | Fruit tea | Smoothie type cools down quickly, and the sour and refreshing feeling of fruit relieves the heat | Lemon tea/mango smoothie |
| Low temperature in winter (<10℃) | Milk tea | Hot drinks warm hands and stomach, and full sugar type quickly replenishes calories | Hot brown sugar pearl milk |
| Damp season of plum rain | Fruit tea (de-iced) | Citrus fruit tea helps to remove moisture, and avoid dairy products from increasing moisture | Kumquat lemon tea |
| Dry season in spring and autumn | Milk tea (half sugar) | Milk fat moisturizes the throat, and tea polyphenols relieve autumn dryness | Osmanthus oolong milk tea |
| Demand | Fruit tea advantage scene | Milk tea advantage scene |
| Health management | Choose grapefruit green tea (≈80 kcal) during the sugar control period | Choose thick milk protein milk tea (≈15g protein) during the muscle-building period |
| Emotional value | Citrus fruit tea enhances pleasure when depressed | Tryptophan in hot milk tea has a soothing effect when anxious |
| Social attributes | Light socializing (such as blind dates for the first time) reduces the burden of diet. | Intimate relationships (couples) share a cup to enhance intimacy |
| Cultural experience | Paired with Southeast Asian dishes to relieve greasiness (Tom Yum Goong + pineapple tea) | Paired with Hong Kong-style tea restaurants (pineapple buns + silk stocking milk tea) |
| Occasion | Preferred categories | Behavioral adaptation points | Practical skills |
| Office afternoon tea | Fruit tea | Transparent cup that does not leave lip marks, lemon fragrance to refresh without sleepiness | Choose sugar-free tea + less ice |
| Girlfriend photo party | Milk tea | Milk cap/layered high appearance, suitable for interactive sharing | Add animal cream topping + decorative biscuit sticks |
| Business meeting | Pure tea + fruit particles | Avoid milk stains, low-key and elegant | Peach Oolong Tea (sugar-free) |
| Gym supplies | Fruit tea (electrolytes) | Replenish vitamin C lost during exercise, zero fat | Passion fruit + BCAA added |
