That Iconic Red Lychee Soda Expands Beyond Northeast China
At barbecue stalls across Northeast China, Zhenzhen soda is an absolute staple. Placed on-table in its distinctive red can, the sweet lychee-flavored soft drink cuts through grease and spiciness alongside sizzling grilled meat skewers. Many locals grew up drinking it and long assumed it was a regional home-grown beverage. It was not until the viral Harbin tourism boom in the winter of 2023 that consumers learned this “beloved soda of Northeast China” is actually manufactured in Foshan, Guangdong Province.
(Image Source: Xiaohongshu @Zhenzhen Beverage)
This lychee-flavored soda, which once struggled to gain traction in its home market of Guangdong, has enjoyed three decades of phenomenal success in Northeast China. When Zhenzhen was founded in 1992, fresh lychees were abundant across Guangdong, leaving little consumer appetite for industrially-produced lychee drinks. By contrast, lychees were a rare delicacy in 1990s Northeast China. Priced at two yuan per can, Zhenzhen offered ordinary households an affordable way to experience lychee flavour. At its peak, the brand reached 90 % channel penetration in Northeast China, covering more than 2 million active retail outlets.
Zhenzhen has not stood still. In 2024, it ranked fourth in China’s sugary soda market share, trailing only Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola and Dayao. Its new Rich Cola launched in 2025 sold 8 million bottles within the first hour of release. In 2026, the brand rolled out further new SKUs including Energy Ape, Multi-Hydrate, Sour Pop and Extra-Sour, expanding its footprint from carbonated soft drinks into energy drinks and electrolyte water.
New challenges have emerged alongside this expansion. Outside Northeast China, consumers lack nostalgic childhood sentiment toward the brand, raising the question: why should they choose Zhenzhen? Meanwhile, the broader beverage industry is shifting toward low-sugar, zero-sugar and functional formulations. Zhenzhen’s signature bold, upfront sweetness has become its most vulnerable point amid these market trends.
Zhenzhen pursues a dual-track strategy: it optimises and stabilises its classic lychee flavour while launching zero-sugar variants and new low-sugar products. Whichever path it takes, core technical hurdles remain: authentic flavour reproduction, balanced sweetness, stable colour performance and reliable shelf-life quality.
(Image Source: Xiaohongshu @Zhenzhen Beverage)
For instance, how can Zhenzhen preserve its signature rich, sweet lychee aroma with consistent batch-to-batch quality amid capacity expansion and multi-site production? TELLCAN SCIENCE Lychee Flavors (TKF10510, TKF10531) address exactly this need. They precisely recreate the characteristic sweet lychee notes, ensuring uniform taste for Zhenzhen products manufactured across different production facilities.
Zero-sugar formulations pose even greater technical demands. Sweetener blends often generate bitter and metallic after-tastes. TELLCAN SCIENCE Compound Sweeteners (CPS150, TK-APM50A, TK-APM100G) deliver a naturally rounded sweetness profile without cane sugar, eliminating the artificial off-notes typical of zero-sugar beverages.
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(Image Source: Xiaohongshu @Zhenzhen Beverage)
New fruit-flavoured electrolyte sodas in strawberry, pineapple and white peach varieties contain light- and oxygen-sensitive natural pigments and aroma compounds. TELLCAN SCIENCE Antioxidant (TKH100) and Preservative (TKB01) slow oxidative discoloration and flavour degradation. Even after months on retail shelves, the beverages retain their bright colour and authentic aroma upon opening.
Evolving from a regional champion in Northeast China to a nationally-oriented brand, Zhenzhen is building a new market identity. Consistently replicating the distinct “Zhenzhen taste” across cities and retail shelves relies not merely on distribution and marketing, but also on invisible yet critical compound-formulation technical support behind the scenes.
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