Chinese tea hub Pu er branches into coffee as tastes change

PU’ER, China – At a mountainside cafe in south-western China, Mr Liao Shihao brews handfuls of locally grown beans into steaming cups of coffee, a modern twist on the region’s traditional drink.

For centuries, Pu’er in Yunnan province has given its name to a type of richly fermented tea – sometimes styled “pu-er” – famous across East Asia and beyond.

But as younger Chinese cultivate a taste for punchy espressos, frothy lattes and flat whites, growers are increasingly branching out into tea’s historic rival.

“People are coming to try our hand-drip coffee... and more fully experience the flavours it brings,” said Mr Liao, 25. “In the past, they mostly went for commercialised coffee, and wouldn’t dabble in the artisanal varieties.”

Mr Liao’s family has run the Xiaowazi, or Little Hollow, coffee plantation for three generations.

Nestled in a shady valley, spindly coffee trees line its steep hillsides, their cherry-like fruit drying on wooden pallets outside.

When AFP visited in April, clusters of tourists sipped boutique brews in the airy cafe overlooking its verdant slopes.

“It’s very good,” said Mr Cai Shuwen, 21, as he perched on a bar stool lifting sample after sample to his lips. “Even though some beans are more astringent than I imagined, others have exceeded my expectations.”

Brewing success

Every year, Pu’er’s plantations sell tens of thousands of tonnes of coffee to major Chinese cities, according to government data.

In metropolises such as Beijing and Shanghai, a thriving cafe scene has emerged in recent years, driven by people aged between 20 and 40.

To Mr Liao, a trained roaster and barista, coffee from his home region possesses “a creamy flavour with a silky, viscous mouthfeel”.

Modern commercial plantations sprang up in Pu’er only in the 1980s, and the area is still better known for its centuries-old