[Photo/VCG]

5. Salty Mongolian milk tea

There is an old saying in China's Mongolian ethnic group that "one would rather not eat for a day than drink no tea." Such is the craze for milk tea among Mongolians, who mainly inhabit provincial areas including Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Heilongjiang and Hebei.

A typical Mongolian tea is salty, due to the fresh milk, butter and salt used to brew the tea. But the ingredients vary in different cases. Sometimes people add fried millet, or even beef, to make it a simple staple food.

The earliest written record of Mongolian milk tea dates back to the 13th century. Locals usually use compressed black tea or pu'er tea to create the beverage.