Coffee Consumption Exceeds That of Tea for The First Time in Taiwan
Tea is a way of life in Taiwan. Taiwanese (Formosa) Oolong teas like Oriental beauty, Dongding, Baozhong, Tie Guan Yin (Iron goddess of mercy), Gao shan are always a treat to sip. Taiwan people are also good at making fancy tea beverages. Their bubble (boba) tea and cheese tea are the best examples. Those are now popular all over the world. But according to latest updates, Coffee is becoming more and more popular in this traditional tea drinking nation. As Taipei Times had reported, Taiwan’s coffee industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the past twenty years, and annual average coffee consumption in Taiwan last year reached 1.8kg per person, exceeding the 1.4kg average per person for tea. But still the number of tea cups consumed should be higher than coffee since only 2-3g of tea are added to a cup. When it comes to coffee, it’s always more than 5g. The same Taiwanese oolong tea leaves are generally poured / infused for more than three time.
From the 4.73 hectares of coffee planted in 2001 to the 1,153.21 hectares planted last year, it is apparent that a large number of people are investing in the coffee industry, Taiwan Coffee Laboratory researcher Lin Jen-an said, citing statistics provided by the Council of Agriculture. Most coffee farms that have earned themselves a good reputation are located on mountains 700m above sea level, and many have been repurposed from tea farms, he said.
The frequent interaction between coffee farmers, baristas and roasters gives Taiwan’s coffee industry its competitive edge, as it aims to attract more attention at the Private Collection Auction.
Lin said that Taiwan is the only place in the world, with the exception of Hawaii, in which there is nearly no distance between production and consumption.
Like the Hawaiian Kona beans, Taiwan’s beans cost more but have excellent taste, which would give Taiwan an edge in making a name for itself in the international gourmet coffee market, he added.
Comparing the quality of Taiwan’s coffee to the Geisha bean coming from Panama’s Hacienda La Esmeralda region, which sells for US$156 per kilogram, Lin said that Taiwan is looking to obtain a good price on its first appearance on the international coffee bidding scene.
At the event, a panel of 26 judges from five countries are scheduled to select nine of the best brews out of 19 entries of Taiwan-grown coffee beans for auctioning, the Alliance of Coffee Excellence said.
The beans selected are then to be auctioned online, with buyers from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the US, New Zealand, Australia and Saudi Arabia doing the bidding, the alliance said.
Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute director Fang Yi-chou said that the institute has obtained a patent for the first locally cultivated type of coffee, which can be planted in plains and can yeild 1.2 times more beans than current coffee plants.
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