“It’s one-of-a-kind in Pu’er,” she says.
To make the magical cup blending the flavors of tea and coffee, Zi would wash tea leaves and boil them in water, and then pour over the coffee powder. People's senses of smell have been tantalized, and soon their taste buds would begin dancing.
It embodies a conversation between two popular beverages, and also cultural elements from both the East and the West.
Zi is pouring the tea water
(Photo by Liu Zhaoxi)
Pu’er has been synonymous with tea for a long period. This bustling city is surrounded by undulating green hills adorned with tea plantations, creating a picturesque landscape.
Pu’er tea is renowned for its refined taste and cultural significance, whose production has been attributed to the region's unique climate, latitude, temperature, and fertile volcanic soil.
This same idyllic environment has also proven perfect for growing coffee.
Although coffee cultivation in Pu’er dates back a century, it was not until 1988 that large-scale, industrialized coffee planting took off. After decades of dedicated effort, Pu’er gained itself the fame of “Coffee Capital of China” in 2012.
According to Zhang Rui, general manager assistant of Manya Coffee, the total coffee planting area in Pu’er has reached an impressive 767,000 mu (approximately 51,133 hectares), with 471,800 mu (approximately 31,453 hectares) in production. The annual coffee production has reached an impressive 49,500 tons, contributing to a combined industrial and agricultural output value exceeding 1.7 billion yuan.
The development of coffee industry has echoed the steady growth of the demand. As China's fast-paced millennials shift their preferences towards the energizing allure of coffee, coffee consumption in tier-one and tier-two cities has reached new heights, further fueling the growth of Pu'er's coffee industry.
Pu’er’s farmers are catering to the demand and starting to develop a taste for higher quality and greater creativity.
Considering the town has also been reputable for tea-growing in history, the effort to make inroads among roasters of coffee beans for the mass market inspired diligent Yunnan people to find a mixture between them.
Manya Coffee, a local coffee brand, is a great example. Since 2008, it has embarked on the endeavor to combine its small-grain coffee with Pu'er tea, both grown on their estate, creating an innovative blend named “Manya Coffee Tea.”
The result is a delightful synergy of flavors, where the "Green" blend features raw tea leaves and the "Red" blend with ripened tea leaves. The combination of the richness of coffee with the fragrance of tea generates a unique taste.
The synergy of two beverages has been reflected, in spite of a long-standing debate over which drink reigns supreme, both on a national and global scale.
Despite the advancements in mechanized technology, the belief that hand-crafted methods yield the finest results for both tea and coffee remains prevalent, including plucking, pan-firing, rolling and boiling of tea leaves, and picking, sun-drying and roasting of the coffee beans.
Extending beyond, the blending of coffee's western origin and tea's eastern roots forms an unconscious cultural nexus, a reminder of the historical exchanges that once thrived along the Tea Horse Road.
One of historical sites of Tea Horse Road in Pu’er
(Photo by Cao Pengyuan)
The ancient Tea Horse Road, which dates back to the 17th century, was a network of ancient trade routes that came into being after the Silk Road.
“We would like to continue the mission of Tea Horse Road that delivers our own flavor to the world in the ancient time,” Zhang emphasized their commitment.
Today, the ancient trade route may have become history and transportation methods modernized, the indomitable pioneering spirit of ancestors, who facilitated connections between China and the world, remains a timeless inspiration.
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