以“云咖”之名 | In the Name of “Yunnan Coffee”

Coffee is the “wine” of the daytime. Sour and bitter flavors merges at the tip of the tongue, and the silky and warm liquid was accompanied by smooth sweetness. Paired with something sweet, as the fragrance of the coffee lingers on, the taste of romance is formed.

Americano, latte, cappuccino and flat white, these exotic goods have taken root in Kunming and gradually became a part of the city. In the meantime, people chasing for their own coffee dreams and the confidence in coffee of Yunnan have appeared in Kunming.

As the capital of Yunnan Province, coffee is very popular in Kunming. In recent years, the streets and lanes of Kunming have been filled with coffee shops. However, most of the coffee beans used are imported or deeply roasted, of which the former is expensive, and the latter relies on seasoning. Kunming is surrounded by coffee producing areas, but the people here rarely use local coffee beans.

“What we want to do is to allow the people of Kunming to taste cheap local coffee beans with good quality,” said barista Lü Siyi while roasting coffee beans in his workshop. He has a great passion for coffee and argued that “the coffee varieties planted abroad can also be planted here in Yunnan, and the quality is not worse than that of imported beans.” In the workshop are brown gunny bags filled with roasted Arabica beans, an Ethiopian variety grown successfully in Pu’er that can produce coffee with excellent flavor and aroma.

Put the coffee powder in the portafilter and use the tamper to evenly tamp the coffee. Insert the portafilter to the group head, and dissolve the powder into brown liquid with steam. By adding milk and sugar, a delicate cup of milk coffee is done. This is barista Wuyang Zhennan’s daily work, but it is really more of a hobby than a job. Pour the milk into the steel jug and bring it to the steam wand, while slightly tilting the jug. With the steam from the steam wand, thick milk foam soon appears. Pour the milk foam into the coffee while moving your arm, and start your latte art creation, whether you make a leaf, a hearts, or a swan is up to you.

Wuyang Zhennan fell in love with coffee the first time he tried it. According to him, the coffee in Kunming was served at the western restaurants on Wenlin Street. With a plate of pasta, a cup of coffee and a piece of dessert, that is how fashionable young people enjoy their lives in Kunming. Different from traditional drinks, the sweet and bitter combination of flavors in coffee creates a unique taste, which makes it trendy.

The history of coffee in Kunming is no longer than 10 years.

The local brand “Hougu” quickly occupied the instant coffee market in Kunming, and its reputation even caught up with the instant coffee giant Nestlé. Gradually, a few specialized coffee shops opened in the commercial centers in Kunming and even if the price was high, there was still a demand. However, many consumers soon discovered that premium did not speak for quality. If the coffee beans used are of poor quality, the shops would gradually lose their customers.

“From the pursuit of fashion to the pursuit of taste, more Kunming consumers are starting to understand coffee. Good taste comes from the coffee beans themselves, not additives.” According to Wuyang Zhennan, the largest coffee bean producing areas in Yunnan are Dehong, Pu’er, Lincang, and Baoshan, and their coffee beans are of excellent quality. The coffee bean planting area in Yunnan accounts for 70% of the national total, and the output reaches 83% of the national total, indicating the dominant position of Yunnan coffee in China. But unfortunately, most of the high-quality coffee beans in Yunnan are sold outside the province or exported, and even though the quality is good, the price is relatively low.

Apart from good coffee beans, you also need the skill of baristas to make a good cup of coffee. According to Wuyang Zhennan, in addition to producing coffee, they also organize professional barista training. Theoretical knowledge and specialization can make baristas better understand Yunnan coffee beans and allow them to make great coffee with Yunnan characteristics.

“We are widely recognized with the listing of the Employment and Innovation Base of Yunnan Agricultural University, the Education, Teaching and Practice Base of Kunming University, the Professional Barista Certification Center and the Training and Practical Training Center of Kunming Metallurgy College, as well as the 155th Vocational Skill Appraisal Institute of Yunnan Province,” said Wuyang Zhennan. As barista is becoming a profession, more and more people will fall in love with it, and when everyone in Kunming can drink the best Yunnan coffee at the cheapest price, the “confidence in coffee” will be realized.

As you get up in the morning, fill your cup with warm coffee endowed by nature 1,400 meters above sea level, and let the aroma and smooth feeling of the coffee accompany you every day, every month, every year.