Apologize for the delay -- I've added two new features on 'what else I'm reading' (re: dogs & Gen-Zs this week) and upcoming company events, let me know your thoughts!
The Italian government has supported espresso since 1915 as an essential foodstuff. Current price for a single espresso is 1 euro for what is 7gm coffee in a 1oz volume drink. Certainly China could achieve something similar. Coffee cultivation in China is still in its infancy, although the Yunnan beans I've tried roasted by a Seattle café are very tasty.
I'm unclear how much robusta coffee is grown in China, but these are much larger and cheaper crops in Vietnam and the Philippines. Blue Bottle has just introduced a "Robusta Blend", signaling the variety's entry into the boutique chains. Really, only in the US has robusta been associated with "dreck" coffee.
If you look at the instant coffee market in Korea, the flavor profile is for Sumatran or Vietnamese filter coffee so: a milky drink with a strong robusta component. Certainly the Chinese will evolve their own styles of coffee, but it might be closer to other Asian countries than a black pour over from Juan Valdez country. No doubt it will be great (and cheap)!
The Italian government has supported espresso since 1915 as an essential foodstuff. Current price for a single espresso is 1 euro for what is 7gm coffee in a 1oz volume drink. Certainly China could achieve something similar. Coffee cultivation in China is still in its infancy, although the Yunnan beans I've tried roasted by a Seattle café are very tasty.
I'm unclear how much robusta coffee is grown in China, but these are much larger and cheaper crops in Vietnam and the Philippines. Blue Bottle has just introduced a "Robusta Blend", signaling the variety's entry into the boutique chains. Really, only in the US has robusta been associated with "dreck" coffee.
If you look at the instant coffee market in Korea, the flavor profile is for Sumatran or Vietnamese filter coffee so: a milky drink with a strong robusta component. Certainly the Chinese will evolve their own styles of coffee, but it might be closer to other Asian countries than a black pour over from Juan Valdez country. No doubt it will be great (and cheap)!