China’s traditionally tea-centric culture is undergoing a notable shift as the nation’s millennial generation embraces a new trend: African coffee blended with Chinese tea.
This surprising fusion is captivating the taste buds of the younger generation and fueling China’s fast-growing appetite for coffee.
A cafe in Changsha, Hunan Province, called Yuenn & Yang Coffee, has become a focal point for this unique coffee-tea blend.
Tourists and locals alike are being introduced to the exquisite flavor combination of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee beans and Chinese oolong tea.
Liu Xuedan, a 24-year-old tourist from Sichuan Province, expressed her astonishment, stating, “I knew that African coffee had a great taste, but I never imagined it would work so well with Chinese tea.”
The rise in coffee consumption among Chinese consumers is evident from Meituan’s report, estimating the scale of China’s coffee industry at 200 billion yuan in 2022, projected to reach 369 billion yuan in 2025.
Young individuals, in particular, are taking up coffee-making classes and purchasing coffee machines to enjoy the beverage at home.
Also, read; Nigeria Issues Recall for Contaminated Batch of Sprite Bottles
The accessibility of African agricultural products in China has played a significant role in this emerging trend.
China, as the second-largest destination for African agricultural exports, has seen an increase in “Made in Africa” farm products on its store shelves, including coffee from Ethiopia, cashew nuts from Tanzania, cocoa from Cote d’Ivoire, and avocados from Kenya.
Coffee product-trading companies like Cash Coffee have embraced African coffee beans for their unique and rich fruit flavor. In 2022, about 40 percent of the 2,000 tonnes of coffee beans sold at Gaoqiao Grand Market were imported from Africa.
This market established an African coffee trade center in 2020, facilitating direct deals between Chinese buyers and African farmers, thereby reducing costs by 30 percent.
Chinese cafes like Own Master and Coffee Z have capitalized on this trend, gaining popularity and significant funding to expand their businesses.
Founder Jing Jianhua of Hunan Xiaokazhu Coffee, the firm running Coffee Z, revealed plans to open 200 cafes this year, mainly in smaller cities where young people are becoming regular cafe-goers.
As the coffee culture in China continues to evolve, the integration of coffee with local Chinese traditions, such as tea and fermented glutinous rice, reflects the nation’s inclusive approach to blending cultures and flavors.
