Asian pantry drinks: a UK shopper’s guide to soya milk and Taiwanese teas

From creamy Thai soya milk to comforting Taiwanese tea sachets, Asian pantry drinks are the unsung heroes of quick, flavourful pick-me-ups — no café queue required.

What it is

Asian ready-to-drink and instant pantry drinks cover a broad, beloved category of sweet, creamy or gently spiced beverages designed for everyday sipping. They range from plant-based milks brewed from soybeans to flavoured tea mixes blended with sugar, milk or warming spices, and they sit at the heart of casual snack culture across Southeast and East Asia. On our shelves you’ll find both single-serve chilled-style drinks and powdered sachets that mix with hot water in seconds.

Where it comes from

Soy milk is a staple across much of Asia, but Thailand’s take — lightly sweetened, smooth and often fortified — is particularly popular as a street-side breakfast companion and on-the-go drink. Taiwan, meanwhile, is famous for its tea culture, from high-mountain oolongs grown around Sun Moon Lake to the comforting brown sugar ginger brews traditionally sipped to warm up on cool days. Instant versions of both emerged to fit busy city lifestyles, and have since become pantry favourites far beyond their home regions.

How to use it

• Keep a pack of Lactasoy Plus Calcium Soya Milk - 6x250ml chilled for a quick, creamy drink alongside mango sticky rice, or pour it over cereal for a subtly sweet breakfast swap.
• Stir a sachet of 3:15 PM Sun Moon Lake Milk Tea - 100g into hot water for a mid-afternoon break; add a handful of tapioca pearls if you’re in the mood for DIY bubble tea.
• Mix up 3.15PM Brown Sugar Ginger Tea - 75g with hot water on cold evenings, or add a squeeze of lemon and a dash of honey for extra zing.
• Use Thai soya milk as a dairy-free base for smoothies — it pairs beautifully with banana, spinach and a spoonful of peanut butter.
• Pack a tea sachet in your work bag for a desk-side pick-me-up that tastes far more special than a standard builder’s brew.

Good to know

• Lactasoy Plus Calcium Soya Milk - 6x250ml: 6 x 250ml pack, £5.95, contains soybean, product of Thailand.
• 3:15 PM Sun Moon Lake Milk Tea - 100g: 100g pack, £3.49, contains milk, product of Taiwan.
• 3.15PM Brown Sugar Ginger Tea - 75g: 75g pack, £3.49, contains milk, product of Taiwan.
• Storage instructions are not specified on supplier packaging for these products; powdered teas are best kept in a cool, dry cupboard, and soya milk should be chilled once opened.