Answer:
tea
Step-by-step explanation:
The silk road was a massive series of trade routes that spanned from Europe to Asia. The route had various goods traded among the different kingdoms/nations/empires at the time. Let's delve into specifically the Chinese.
1) The Chinese were known for mainly their main export at the time, which was silk. Silk was an extremely profitable commodity as it was high in demand, a versatile material, and could be traded fairly easily. Silk spread from China to other countries and eventually reached the European front through various networks/routes. Thus originated the name silk road.
2) Another main export that was not as much talked about was tea. Tea was a beverage that originated from China, and had a unique flavor. It was different and compelling, which made many buy it. The tea commodity also was like silk, starting from China and moving westward to Europe. Europeans found tea to be a favorite among their people in general, and started trading for tea.
Tea appears to be the most applicable answer.