SMALL THINGS, BIG CHINA · TEA TIME
How Do You Order Bubble Tea in China? Sugar Levels, Ice and Toppings Explained
Choose the drink first. Then check its size, sweetness, ice and toppings.
The trisAino Editorial Team · Reviewed
And one useful detail: a “bubble tea” shop does not only sell drinks with tapioca pearls. Your cup might be fresh milk tea, fruit tea or a dessert-inspired drink with no pearls at all. Look at the drink description before adding anything.
Start with the drink, not the toppings
If you already know what you want, show the staff its Chinese name or its menu picture. This is particularly useful when the English name differs between markets or the shop has several similar mango drinks.
Then look at the choices attached to that item. A milk tea and a fruit drink from the same shop may offer different sugar levels, temperatures and extras. Some recipes have fewer adjustments, or a recommended combination the shop wants to preserve.
Your simplest ordering sequence is: drink → size → sweetness → ice or temperature → toppings → confirm the price. Only choose from the options offered for that drink.
What do the sweetness labels mean?
Here are labels you may encounter. The wording and number of choices vary by shop and product.
| Chinese label | What to understand when ordering |
|---|---|
| 正常糖 / 标准糖 | The shop’s regular sweetness option |
| 少糖 | A reduced-sweetness option; ask if you need a more specific choice |
| 七分糖 | A named setting below regular sweetness |
| 五分糖 | A named middle setting on menus that offer it |
| 三分糖 | A named lower-sweetness setting on menus that offer it |
| 不另外加糖 / 不加糖 | Ask what the shop will omit and whether other ingredients are already sweetened |
Do not treat this table as a conversion chart. 三分糖 does not establish that the finished drink has exactly 30% of another drink’s total sugar. Fruit, milk and sweetened ingredients can contribute sweetness independently of what the shop adjusts when you select a setting.
The same label is also not a guarantee that two brands will taste equally sweet. Start with your preference, then adjust your next order based on the actual drink.
If you need ingredient or nutrition information for a specific reason, check that product’s current information and ask the shop. A customization label cannot answer those questions by itself.
Less ice, no ice or a hot drink?
正常冰 is a regular-ice choice; 少冰 asks for less ice; 去冰 asks for no ice cubes in the finished cup. Check the actual options on the menu.
“No ice” does not necessarily mean the drink will be warm or at room temperature. The ingredients may already be chilled. Nor does it establish that the shop will replace every removed ice cube with more drink.
Hot drinks are a separate menu option when available. A blended drink, a recipe built around ice or a particular topping may limit what can be changed. If the screen does not offer your preferred choice, ask before paying.
Check what is already in the cup
Some drinks already include their advertised toppings. Before adding pearls or another extra, check the item description and any extra charge.
Two words worth recognizing are 珍珠, often used for tapioca pearls, and 西米, sago. They are different ingredients, not interchangeable names for the same topping.
If you are ordering a layered fruit drink, ask what is included rather than assuming it has the same ingredients as a similarly named dessert. For an allergy or dietary requirement, discuss ingredients and preparation separately from your sugar or ice preference.
Our founder’s usual choice: 三分糖
Our founder’s personal ordering habit is consistent: she usually chooses 三分糖, when that option is available.
- CHAGEE / 霸王茶姬: 伯牙绝弦, with 三分糖. The brand describes this drink as jasmine tea with milk.
- HEYTEA / 喜茶: her mango-pomelo choice, which she calls 杨枝甘露, with 三分糖. Show the current menu picture and confirm the item: product names and recipes may differ from that everyday description.
- MIXUE / 蜜雪冰城: she also orders here and prefers 三分糖 when available. She has not specified a particular drink for this article.
These are personal preferences, not a claim that all three brands offer identical sweetness choices for every product. Your best starting point is the drink you are curious about and the choices actually available for it.
One question to show the staff
这杯可以做三分糖吗？
Can this drink be made with the 三分糖 sweetness option?
Showing the question alongside the drink’s name or picture makes the request more specific. If the answer is no, ask which less-sweet option is available for that recipe.
Before you collect your drink
Check your order number and pickup instructions. Keep the order confirmation until you have the right cup; if you are collecting several drinks, match the labels to each person’s choices.
A first order does not need to be perfect. Choose something interesting, confirm the few settings that matter to you, and use your own impression to choose the next one.
Sources and editorial notes
Our founder supplied the personal preferences in this article on 26 September 2026. CHAGEE’s official product page supports the jasmine-tea-and-milk description of 伯牙绝弦; that regional page is not evidence of customization choices at every mainland store. Its nutrition-information announcement is dated 2023 and is background only, not a current nutrition table. HEYTEA’s official website does not provide a readable live item menu in our review.
Reviewed 26 September 2026. Menu vocabulary is an ordering aid, not a verified menu for every brand. Check the current store menu for availability, customization, ingredients and price. All artwork is AI-created editorial illustration, not brand product photography; cups and quantities are illustrative.