tongyi vs kangshifu ... we settle this once and for all

those of you who know me know that I am completely addicted to the bottled 绿茶 (lucha). its basically what i lived off of during my time in Beijing, and its what I miss most in the states because they are literally nowhere to be found.

the two main brands that provide this amazing beverage are 统一 (tongyi) and 康师傅 (kangshifu), and it is pretty evident that all throughout China, they basically share the market. you'll see some cities, such as Xian, that are completely kangshifu territory, and you'll see other cities, such as Chengdu, where tongyi pretty much dominates. Furthermore, you'll also see other larger cities such as Beijing and Shanghai where the market seems to be equally split. its pretty epic, and it seems as if these two brands have been wrestling for marketshare for ages (think Pepsi vs. Coke)

now i'm pretty partial to tongyi, but i really respect kangshifu because they seem to be the much larger brand, and i have also noticed their immense presence in the states...providing americans with great products such as ramen, chips,drinks and other delectable goodies. i've been a mad follower of the tongyi brand green tea, but i decided that once and for all i should actually sit down and compare the two brands to ensure that i was actually drinking the better tasting beverage. and so, ladies and gentlemen, may i present to you my official (and objective) review of these two drinks:

Here are the candidates:


From left to right:
Tongyi - Organic Green Tea (dark horse? saw this new version at the store and was immediately interested...we'll see how it fares against the big boys)
Tongyi - Green Tea
Kangshifu - Green Tea


First up: Tongyi - Organic Green Tea
This version of the classic green tea was quite a surprise. I literally ran across it at a 7-11 in Shenzhen and immediately was curious. Who knows, if this dark horse candidate is good enough, it may supplant the original as the newest and greatest form of green tea.

When i first tried a sip of this tea, i was immediately disgusted. It was pretty bitter and sharp...and nothing like the classic. After a few more sips, however, i realized that tongyi was just trying to create a form of tea that tasted more like real green tea, and not like its sweetened cousin. With that in mind, I realized that this form could not really compare with the other two and thus was immediately removed from the competition. It wasn't a bad drink, but it was just like comparing apples to oranges...no contest.



Result: "Weird but respectable taste...nothing like what I had expected"
Next up: Tongyi - Green Tea
This was the classic. I once drank about two liters of this magical liquid everyday in Beijing. It was just that good. Putting aside my history with this incredible beverage, I maintained objectivity throughout this test and approached it like i would any other drink. But i just could not stop myself. From the moment the liquid hit my lips, I could taste the bold, yet subtle taste of the tea, with just the right amount of sugar that left you feeling completely refreshed and satisfied. it was incredible...my taste buds were screaming with pleasure and i felt a sense of euphoria as the it flowed through my mouth (twss). total bliss.



Result: *long long sigh of content...*
And our final contender: Kangshifu - Green Tea
After cleansing my palette with some water and Frutips, i set out to test out our final contender, the infamous Kangshifu. it had some big shoes to fill, but i was confident that this drink would put up a respectable showing. ...i could not have been more wrong.

on my first sip, i was immediately taken aback by the weakness of the flavor. it tasted incredibly diluted and very...wimpy (for a lack of better words). furthermore, it left a slightly bitter aftertaste that made me cringe and shiver with displeasure. certain that this may have been a mistake, i attempted once again to take in this drink. ...and this time it nearly sent me rushing towards the toilet bowl to puke it all up. i was immediately reminded of that barfing scene from family guy and realized how i could never laugh at that anymore because...well...i totally felt their pain.. i just simply could not take anymore of this atrocious drink.



Result: "please make it stop...please..."
And so the winner: Tongyi - Green Tea

yeah baby.
now if i could only find a way to bring it to the states...