From Puer Tea Fields to Cafe Culture: A New Brew in China's Big Cities
By Greg Baker / AFP, PUER, China
In response to shifting preferences, a prominent Chinese tea locale delves into the coffee industry.
In the heart of China's southwest, Liao Shihao pours steaming cups of locally grown coffee at his mountainside cafe, reinventing the region's traditional beverage legacy.
A province once famous for its richly fermented puer tea, Yunnan's Puer city now grapples with the popularity of a more punchy caffeine companion—coffee.
For decades, Puer's plantations have thrived, but now they're diversifying their crops as younger Chinese crave espressos, lattes, and flat whites.
Image: AFP
Liao, 25, serves hand-drip coffee from his family-run Xiaowazi plantation, watched by tourists eager to experience this artisanal brew. "In the past, they mostly went for commercial coffee and wouldn't dabble in the artisanal varieties," Liao explains.
The Xiaowazi plantation, hidden amidst shady slopes, is home to spindly coffee trees laden with cherry-like fruit. Tourists visit to sip boutique brews in the cafe overlooking the verdant hills.
"It's very good," remarked Cai Shuwen, 21, as he sampled various beans. Despite some beans being more astringent than he expected, others exceeded his hopes.
Yunnan province exports tens of thousands of tonnes of coffee annually to major Chinese cities, according to government data. Eager drinkers flock to the burgeoning cafe scene in Beijing and Shanghai.
For Liao, who's trained in roasting and baristas skills, the coffee of his hometown offers "a creamy flavor with a silky, viscous mouthfeel." Modern plantations dated back to the 1980s, but Puer is still synonymous with its centuries-old tea trade.
Liao's grandfather, Liao Xiugui, arrived in Puer decades ago when only a few understood coffee cultivation. Suitable altitude and temperate climate made Puer an ideal destination for the new crop.
"The quality of the coffee we plant here is strong, but not too bitter, floral but not too heady, and slightly fruity," Liao Xiugui said. His plantation produces around 500 tonnes of raw coffee fruit per year, free from artificial pesticides and interspersed with other species for biodiversity.
Coffee keeps Liao Xiugui, now 83, spry, and he drinks two to three cups a day. He credits it with maintaining his youth and boosting energy. "Drinking coffee can make you younger and healthier," he said.
The increase in China's coffee output is significant, though it still trails traditional powers like Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia. Yunnan, bordering three Southeast Asian nations, is almost solely responsible for China's coffee production, primarily in Puer.
Government support, improved production standards, and export strategies aim to boost coffee's profitability and consumer base [1][3]. Yunnan farmers also leverage tourism opportunities like plantation visits, homestays, and ethnic-inspired restaurants to supplement income.
"We used to say only rich people could drink coffee," says longtime farmer Yu Dun, 51. "But that's changed now," Yu Dun adds, with pride at her newfound success from learning to process and roast her beans herself.
References:
- China's Spiraling Coffee Market | Forbes
- Starbucks Is Now China's Most Valuable Coffee Brand | Brand Finance
- How China Became a Key Player in Global Coffee Production | Reuters
- China's Coffee Crush | The Economist
- As Yunnan province exports tens of thousands of tonnes of coffee annually to major Chinese cities, the popularity of coffee has led to a transformation in Liao Shihao's family-run Xiaowazi plantation from a traditional puer tea plantation to a bustling cafe that serves artisanal brews.
- In the heart of China's big cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, eager drinkers are flocking to the burgeoning cafe scene, demonstrating a shift in lifestyle and finance preferences towards food-and-drink options like coffee, along with the rise of local business entrepreneurs like Liao.
