Tokyo Stories
why trivial things are the way they are

The answer for the question in Japan for Japanese tea, would definitely be a no.

But here in China, the answer depends. Like here, in a home style, everyday use restaurant in Beijing, Chrysanthemum tea is served with sugar crystals. Although not every tea is served with sugar, it is certainly an optional flavor you can have.

This subtle difference in how tea are consumed make a huge difference in products. While ready-to-drink (RTD) tea will never come with sugar flavor in Japan, here in China, you will find both options for the same brand, sugared, and non-sugared. In fact, it is the one with the sugar which attracted the consumers more.

Both culture enjoys tea, but the final product can be in different taste.