Dish Family Guide
Chinese Drink Guide
Chinese restaurant drinks include tea, Hong Kong milk tea, soy milk, bubble tea, herbal drinks, fruit teas, and cafe beverages that carry different sugar, dairy, caffeine, and soy signals.
Category map
| Category | What it means | Common signals |
|---|---|---|
| Hot tea | Jasmine, oolong, pu-erh, chrysanthemum. | Caffeine varies. |
| Hong Kong milk tea | Strong black tea with milk. | Dairy, caffeine, sugar. |
| Soy milk | Hot or cold, sweet or unsweetened. | Soy, sugar. |
| Bubble tea | Tea or milk drink with tapioca. | Dairy, sugar, caffeine. |
| Herbal drinks | Cooling teas and bottled drinks. | Sugar, herbs. |
| Fruit tea | Fruit-flavored tea or juice drink. | Sugar, caffeine depending on tea base. |
Ordering strategy
Treat the dish family as a clue, not a complete answer. The restaurant format, sauce, wrapper, broth, and filling usually matter more than the English category name.