Introduction:A cup of olive juice priced at up to 1,000 yuan has sparked heated discussion. Shenzhen milk tea brand Yecui Shan has become the focus of public attention thanks to its rare ingredients and intricate production process. This beverage, made from the "Jinyu Sanjian Olive" variety native to the Chaoshan region, has raw material costs as high as 800 yuan per jin (500g), with a production time of nearly three hours. In addition, prominent tea beverage brand Heytea has taken a controlling stake in Yecui Shan, owning 60% of the company and becoming its largest shareholder. Its operational strategy and market approach have drawn significant attention.
In the cold winter, a warm drink can always bring comfort to both body and mind. However, milk tea prices on the market vary widely — from affordable options under 10 yuan at Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, to mid-to-high-end products priced between 30 and 40 yuan from brands like Nayuki and Heytea, most consumers can find an option within their budget. But not long ago, a drink with an astonishing price appeared on Weibo’s trending list — the "Jinyu Sanjian Olive Juice" launched by local Shenzhen milk tea brand Yecui Shan, priced at a staggering 1,000 yuan per cup, quickly igniting debate among consumers and the media.
As is well known, milk tea and juice products on the market are typically clearly stratified according to brand positioning. Heytea and Nayuki target the premium market, with single drinks often priced at 30–40 yuan; mid-range brands like Yi Dian Dian fall within the 10–20 yuan range, offering relatively balanced cost-performance; while Mixue Ice Cream & Tea focuses on the mass-market affordable segment, with the vast majority of its products priced under 10 yuan, making it especially popular among students and office workers. However, a drink priced at 1,000 yuan undoubtedly breaks the conventional understanding of beverage pricing.
This controversial 1,000-yuan drink uses an extremely rare variety from Guangdong’s Chaoshan region — the Jinyu Sanjian Olive. This olive variety is renowned for its crisp texture, intense olive aroma, and unique appearance, making it one of the top-tier varieties in the olive world. In fact, as early as December 2008, China's former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine officially included the "Jinyu Sanjian Olive" in the list of protected geographical indication products, confirming its rarity and regional uniqueness.
Even more surprising is the extremely high market value of this type of olive.According to reports, in 2023, the market price of this variety was about 800 yuan per jin (500g), and supply is very limited. It’s worth noting that the olives used by Yecui Shan come from older trees — there are only about 2,000 olive trees over 100 years old nationwide, and just four that are over 500 years old, making them extremely rare. As a result, the raw material cost for this olive juice is already quite high.
In addition to the rarity of the ingredients, the production process of this olive juice is also extremely meticulous.
According to store employees, the entire process from order placement to final product takes nearly three hours. This is because the brand insists on using fresh fruit prepared on the spot, without adding any canned fruit, NFC juice, or artificial flavorings, and it must go through a full eight complex procedures. Each step emphasizes precision and standardization to ensure the final beverage faithfully reproduces the original flavor of the Jinyu Sanjian Olive.
Faced with this high-priced drink, online discussions are sharply divided. Some netizens believe that considering the scarcity of the ingredients and the complexity of the production process, the 1,000-yuan price tag is justified; however, many other consumers question whether such a price is merely a marketing gimmick aimed at attracting market attention and traffic.
It’s worth mentioning that the Yecui Shan brand also has the backing of capital. Public information shows that Yecui Shan is owned by Shenzhen Haolin Catering Co., Ltd., which was established in September 2017 with registered capital of approximately 345,500 yuan, and its legal representative is Liang Jinlin. In November 2023, well-known tea beverage brand Heytea acquired a stake in Yecui Shan through its subsidiary, "Heytea (Shenzhen) Enterprise Management Co., Ltd.,"holding a 60% share and becoming the brand’s largest shareholder. This move is also seen by the industry as an important strategic step for Heytea to further expand into the premium market and develop distinctive beverage offerings.
Currently, Yecui Shan has over 30 stores nationwide, with an average monthly sales volume of over 14,000 cups per store. Some flagship stores even achieve monthly sales of up to 3 million yuan. With such performance, coupled with the resources and management expertise of Heytea, its future development potential in the premium beverage market is worth continued observation.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
