China Food & Drinks

China’s Popular Energy Drinks and Their Potentially Harmful Effects

After a new research found that energy drinks can potentially be harmful to health, Chinese state media warn Chinese netizens to “think twice” before drinking them. China currently has the largest energy drink market in the world.

Published

7 years ago

April 30, 2017

Manya Koetse

Now that a new research found energy drinks to be potentially harmful to health, Chinese state media warn netizens to “think twice” before drinking them. China currently has the largest energy drink market in the world.

A new American study on the health impact of energy drinks points out that the negative effects of drinking one 32-ounce can are worse than drinking other caffeine-heavy drinks.

According to the research, that was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, energy drinks can trigger potentially dangerous changes in blood pressure and heart activity.

Researchers have said that for people who have high blood pressure, heart problems other health issues, it might be better not to drink energy drinks until more is known about their health impact.

News about the study was shared on Chinese social media by state media outlets People’s Daily and CCTV, writing that after drinking energy drinks, people have a 10-milliseconds higher QT interval, which is the time of the heart muscle to ‘recharge’ between beats. When your heart muscle takes longer than normal to ‘recharge’, it can lead to abnormal heart beats.

They also reported on the study’s findings that people who drink energy drinks have an elevated blood pressure for more than six hours after finishing the beverage.

CCTV encouraged people to share the news and warned them to “think twice” before drinking energy drinks.

As in other parts of the world, energy drinks are most popular among young people in China who drink it as a normal beverage. According to Statista, the retail sales value of canned energy drinks in China increased from 9 billion RMB (±1,3 billion US$) in the year 2009 to an estimated 87.5 billion RMB (±12,6 billion US$) in 2019.

In Chinese, energy drinks are called ‘functional beverages’ (功能性饮料), which could also refer to sports or nutrient-enhanced drinks. As explained by Daxue Consulting, sports drinks primarily contain sodium, potassium, and magnesium, whereas nutrient-enhanced drinks usually include an extra supplement of vitamins.

Within ‘functional beverages’, energy drinks are classified differently from sports or nutrient-enhanced drinks as “drinks with other special functions” containing caffeine, taurine, and sugar together with other ingredients such as guarana and B vitamins.

Although the Maidong (脉动) sports drink (or ‘vitamin water’) is China’s most popular ‘functional beverage’, Red Bull (红牛) is the market leader when it comes to the energy drinks category.

Other big players within this category are Hi Tiger (乐虎), Qili (启力), Lipovitan (力保健), and Eastroc Super Drink (东鹏特饮).

On Weibo, many netizens expressed their worries after reading the reports. “I just bought Red Bull yesterday!”, one netizen responded, posting shocked emoticons. “I will stop drinking this from now on,” a typical comment said.

“No wonder I always feel like my heart skips a beat when I drink Red Bull in the morning,” a netizen named yoyowon wrote: “It makes me feel vague and absent-minded.”

“I am happy I never bought this stuff – I always thought it was too expensive anyway,” others wrote.

But some people were also confused, asking if the Maidong drink belongs to the same category as Red Bull. “Maidong is a sports drink,” one person responded: “Functional beverages are not the same as sports beverages.”

Many people wondered about the purpose of energy drinks after reading about the recent study. “Why don’t people just drink coffee instead?”, many asked. “In the end, drinking plain water is simply the best,” one netizen said.

It remains to be seen how and if the recent study will affect the Chinese energy drink market, which has been explosively growing over the past few years. In 2015 alone, the energy drink consumption in China saw a 25% volume growth compared to the year before – four times more than the US.

One male Weibo user does not seem to care about the recent study, posting photos of himself drinking Red Bull: “I flew back to Chengdu last night, and am now off to Chongqing. Drinking some Red Bull – I am unstoppable!”

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

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China Brands, Marketing & Consumers

Zara Dress Goes Viral in China for Resemblance to Haidilao Apron

Who’s gonna buy this Zara dress in China? “I’m afraid that someone will say I stole the apron from Haidilao.”

Published

9 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Manya Koetse

A short dress sold by Zara has gone viral in China for looking like the aprons used by the popular Chinese hotpot chain Haidilao.

“I really thought it was a Zara x Haidialo collab,” some customers commented. Others also agree that the first thing they thought about when seeing the Zara dress was the Haidilao apron.

The “original” vs the Zara dress.

The dress has become a popular topic on Xiaohongshu and other social media, where some images show the dress with the Haidilao logo photoshopped on it to emphasize the similarity.

One post on Xiaohongshu discussing the dress, with the caption “Curious about the inspiration behind Zara’s design,” garnered over 28,000 replies.

Haidilao, with its numerous restaurants across China, is renowned for its hospitality and exceptional customer service. Anyone who has ever dined at their restaurants is familiar with the Haidilao apron provided to diners for protecting their clothes from food or oil stains while enjoying hotpot.

These aprons are meant for use during the meal and should be returned to the staff afterward, rather than taken home.

The Haidilao apron.

However, many people who have dined at Haidilao may have encountered the following scenario: after indulging in drinks and hotpot, they realize they are still wearing a Haidilao apron upon leaving the restaurant. Consequently, many hotpot enthusiasts may have an ‘accidental’ Haidilao apron tucked away at home somewhere.

This only adds to the humor of the latest Zara dress looking like the apron. The similarity between the Zara dress and the Haidilao apron is actually so striking, that some people are afraid to be accused of being a thief if they would wear it.

One Weibo commenter wrote: “The most confusing item of this season from Zara has come out. It’s like a Zara x Haidilao collaboration apron… This… I can’t wear it: I’m afraid that someone will say I stole the apron from Haidilao.”

Funnily enough, the Haidilao apron similarity seems to have set off a trend of girls trying on the Zara dress and posting photos of themselves wearing it.

It’s doubtful that they’re actually purchasing the dress. Although some commenters say the dress is not bad, most people associate it too closely with the Haidilao brand: it just makes them hungry for hotpot.

By Manya Koetse

Follow @whatsonweibo

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China Food & Drinks

Where to Eat and Drink in Beijing: Yellen’s Picks

From Yunnan classics to fusion cuisine, these are Janet Yellen’s picks for dining and drinking in Beijing.

Published

1 week ago

April 11, 2024

Manya Koetse

Janet Yellen, the United States Secretary of the Treasury, seems to have some excellent advisors, at least when it comes to choosing spots for food and drinks in Beijing.

Yellen just concluded her second trip to Beijing within a year, and once again, it’s not her official talks but rather her choices in food and drink venues that are sparking discussion on social media.

Her initial visit to Beijing was in July 2023, during which she held meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other officials.

This time, from April 4th to 9th, Yellen’s agenda included engagements with top Chinese officials in both Guangzhou and Beijing. The primary focus was on addressing ongoing bilateral tensions and managing trade relations between the US and China. In addition to official meetings, Yellen also met up with students and business leaders.

Yellen’s selection of bars and restaurants drew interest online. Yellen is known to be a food enthusiast, and likes to visit local restaurants wherever she goes.

In Guangzhou, Yellen dined at Taotaoju (陶陶居), a renowned Cantonese restaurant where she had roast goose and shrimp dumplings.

If you’re curious about the places she visited in Beijing during her first and second trip, check out our short ‘Yellen’s Beijing’ list below.

‘In & Out’ Yunnan Restaurant

Yellen at Yizuo Yiwang, photos via Weibo.

● Name: ‘In and Out’ in English, Chinese name: Yī Zuò Yī Wàng 一坐一忘

● Specialty: Yunnan cuisine

● Notable: Yellen visited this local favorite near Beijing’s embassy area in the summer of 2023. Among other things, Yellen was served spicy potatoes with mint and stir-fried mushrooms, leading to online jokes about how the food would affect her. The mushroom dish that she had is called jiànshǒuqīng (见手青), which literally means “see hand blue”, in reference to turning blue when handled. It is the lanmaoa asiatica mushroom species that grows in China’s Yunnan region known for its hallucinogenic properties (when treated and cooked properly, they don’t cause hallucinations read more here). After Yellen’s visit, ‘In & Out’ used it as part of their marketing strategy and the restaurant released a special ‘Treasury Menu’ (or ‘God of Wealth’ Menu 财神菜单), promoting themselves as the first place where Yellen had dinner during her Beijing visit.

● Price: Dishes range from 38 yuan ($5) to 298 yuan ($41)

● Address: Chaoyang, Sanlitun Beixiaojie 1 / 朝阳区三里屯北小街1号

Grand Hyatt’s ‘Made in China’

Yellen’s lunch at the Grand Hatt, image via Weibo.

● Name: ‘Made in China’ in English, Chinese name: Cháng’ān Yī Hào 长安壹号餐厅

● Specialty: Northern Chinese cuisine, including Peking duck / Fusion

● Notable: This is the venue where Yellen had lunch with a group of female economists and entrepreneurs in July of 2023 (you can see the speech she gave during lunch here). She apparently likes this restaurant a lot, since she visited it again for dinner on April 8 of this year. For her 2023 lunch, we know that Yellen ordered steamed fish head with chopped pepper (剁椒鱼头). The famous Hunan dish was among the most expensive dishes on a special menu (850 yuan/$117) for Yellen’s visit at the time. This time around, she also had Peking Duck. The award-winning Made in China restaurant, which is simply called “Chang’an no 1” in Chinese (after its address, 长安壹号餐厅), has been around for two decades, and the Beijing head chef Jin Qiang has been there from the start – he has since welcomed numerous heads of state and government leaders from around the world.

● Price: Appetizers start from 58 yuan ($8), seafood dishes around 500 yuan (69 yuan), Peking Duck 388 yuan ($53)

● Address: Grand Hyatt, Dongcheng, 1 East Chang’An Avenue / 东长安街1号东方广场

Lao Chuan Ban

Yellen at Chuan Ban, image via Dianping.

● Name: Chuan Ban, Chinese name: 川办餐厅 aka ‘Lao Chuan Ban’ (Old Chuan Ban 老川办)

● Specialty: Sichuan food

● Notable: Chuan Ban, established as part of the Sichuan provincial government office and open to the public since 1995, is renowned for its authentic Sichuan cuisine. During her visit to Beijing, Yellen and her group dined at this famous restaurant on April 6 this year. They enjoyed a variety of dishes including Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐), Sichuan-style cold noodles (四川凉面), clear noodles in chili sauce (川北凉粉), smashed cucumber salad (拍黃瓜), and Zhong dumpings in spicy sauce (钟水饺).

● Price：Dumplings for 18 yuan ($2.5), beef noodles for 16 yuan ($2.2), salt and pepper shrimp for 46 yuan ($6.3), fried lamb chops for 188 yuan ($26) – there’s something for everyone in different price ranges.

● Address: Dongcheng, 5 Gongyuan Toutiao, Jianguomennei Dajie / 东城区建国门内贡院头条5号

Jing-A Brewery

Yellen having a beer, image via Weibo.

● Name: Jing-A Brewery, Chinese name: 京A

● Specialty: Craft beer

● Notable: After five days of meetings during her 2024 China visit, Janet Yellen enjoyed a beer together with US ambassador Nicholas Burns at Jing-A, a brewery founded by wo Beijing-based American friends in 2012. In one of her tweets, Yellen explained that the microbrewery imports American hops for their beers — “a small representation of how the U.S.-China bilateral economic relationship can benefit both sides” (link).

● Price：Beers starting at 35 yuan ($4.8), snack dishes starting at 58 yuan ($8)

● Address: Jing-A Brewpub Xingfucun, Chaoyang， 57 Xingfucun Zhong Lu, Chaoyang, Beijing / 朝阳区幸福村中路57号

By Manya Koetse

Follow @whatsonweibo