Hot drinks in Hong Kong: Sweet hand-warmers
Everything from boiled Coke to hot malt drinks, here are Hong Kong's favorite, and most delicious, remedies for the winter chills
Here are some nectarous hot drinks in Hong Kong that will bring a flush back to our chilly cheeks in no time:
Boiled Coke with ginger and lemon
Coca-Cola boiled with ginger and lemon, that concoction Chinese mums like to make when their kids start sniffling, is a surprisingly effective tonic for colds. Some people claim chewing on the coke-infused ginger slices makes the drink work even better.
Avaliable at Tsui Wah restaurants, such as the one on 15-19 Wellington street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central.
Hot Vitasoy
Hot Vitasoy in glass bottles is a nostalgic winter pick-me-up for Hong Kongers. Widely available at convenience stores, the flavor of the drink is intesified by heat.
Avaliable at most 7-11 and Circle K outlets during winter www.vitasoy.com.hk
Mulled wine at FINDS
Scandinavian bar FINDS’ off-the-menu mulled wine is just the thing to give us an instant blast of warmth on nippy nights. The warmed reds are infused with heady doses of wintry spices such as cinnamon, and fruity oranges and raisins.
FINDS, 2/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central www.finds.com.hk
Valrhona hot chocolate at Epoch
Epoch's hot chocolate is made from melted 70% cocoa Valrhona chocolate. Incredibly viscous, it coats the mouth in a thick layer of chocolate. Heaven for serious chocoholics. For a less hardcore option, their Valrhona hot chocolate lite drink is half chocolate, half milk, and a whole lot easier to swallow.
Epoch Coffee Bar and Desserterie, 12-14 Wing Fung Street,
Star Street Precinct or G/F, Shop H, Westlands Road, Taikoo Place, and other branches.
Hot herbal teas
Nothing says retro Hong Kong like drinking hot herbal tea on the side of the road. Herbal teas usually have a cooling effect on the body but viable winter options include hot pear juice, which nourishes the body, and red date-infused tisanes, which improves blood circulation.
Health Works and Hung Fuk Tong are popular modernized herbal tea chain stores. Kung Lee on 60 Hollywood Road, Central is an old-school roadside favorite.
