Ginseng gelato, cordyceps cocktails? A modern TCM boom takes root across China
Ginseng gelato, cordyceps cocktails? A modern TCM boom takes root across China
At a cocktail bar in central Shanghai, bartenders shake herbal cocktails just metres away from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners who take customers’ pulses and scribble diagnoses on slips of paper.
Bartenders then craft cocktails infused with TCM ingredients, offering a curated experience that blends indulgence with a mindful twist.
Across China, entrepreneurs are reimagining traditional Chinese medicine through cocktail bars, artisanal gelato and modern apothecaries, drawing in a young generation looking to balance indulgence and wellness.
In the Xuhui district, TCM-themed gelato shop Zhongyaotang is putting a fresh spin on herbal remedies, turning them into desserts where flavours like hawthorn and dang gui evoke both nostalgia and scepticism.
Down the street from Zhongyaotang, Silver Root Apothecary takes a quieter approach, hosting workshops and consultations that frame TCM as a lifestyle practice.
The number of dedicated TCM wellness tea shops across China has more than doubled to over 6,000 by late 2024, with new business registrations rising 40 per cent year-on-year.
