A new trend is brewing

According to Sun, when they create new tea drinks, pairing different tea with fruit or seasonal ingredients, one key rule is to make sure the flavor of the selected tea stands out, but, at the same time, that the overall flavor is balanced.

"The tea blends may be a first step for the customers in trying tea, and they may get to like the tea flavor and want to drink pure tea," Sun says.

At Theatre Tea, tea-flavored dessert is one of their signature items, which is always ordered together with the drinks. "The flavor of the tea drink can enhance the taste of the dessert, which will distract people's attention away from sweetness," Sun explains.

Sun notices that when people are ordering cakes, they often opt for flavors that they are already familiar with, such as jasmine tea and matcha, but when they're ordering desserts, they are more likely to try something new, such as Pu'er tea flavor.

Theatre Tea is planning on launching a tea experience store, which will enable the customers to try the different ways of making tea and to learn more about tea culture.

Sun notes that there has been a significant increase in people's awareness of Chinese tea in the past two years.

"Of course, among the large number of young people who visit our venues, it's difficult to identify those who come to just take pictures and those who are genuinely interested in tea and willing to participate in ongoing tea culture exchange," she says. "The proportion of the latter is currently low. However, I believe it will gradually increase over time."