What Is 陈皮水 (Chénpí Shuǐ)? China's "Cut the Grease" Drink

In China there's a whole category of drinks you sip to "cut the grease" (解腻, jiěnì) after a heavy meal. 陈皮水 (chénpí shuǐ) is one of them — and its name is a mini Chinese lesson.

Breaking down the name

So 陈皮 (chénpí) is dried, aged tangerine peel — and 陈皮水 is water infused with it. The older the peel, the more prized it is.

Why people drink it

It's light, a little bitter, with a sweet finish — and it's meant to 解腻 (jiěnì): to cut the heavy, greasy feeling after rich food like hotpot (火锅, huǒguō) or fried dishes. Many bottled versions are 0糖 (líng táng) zero sugar, 0卡 zero calories, 0脂 zero fat — a guilt-free swap for soda.

The 陈 you'll see elsewhere

That same 陈 = "aged" shows up in other food words:

• 陈醋 (chén cù) — aged vinegar (like the famous 山西陈醋)
• 陈年 (chén nián) — aged, of many years (陈年老酒, aged wine)
• 陈旧 (chén jiù) — old and worn-out

Keep learning

• 块 vs 元: how Chinese people say money
• Verb + 起来: looks / sounds / tastes like
• What 好好 (hǎohǎo) really means
• Sorry in Chinese: 不好意思 vs 对不起