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A café in Luoyang launched a drink called Luoyang Hu La Tang, blending espresso, Dukang liquor, white pepper, beef jerky, and more than 30 other ingredients, priced at 68 yuan a cup. The drink drew curiosity online, but many Luoyang locals rejected it, saying the crossover is gimmicky and that the name could mislead out-of-town tourists.

Hu La Tang is a well-known Henan snack made differently from place to place, and locals argue one shop's version cannot represent the authentic dish. Questions also arise about what is coffee made of once so many seasonings enter the cup, and whether the coffee flavor survives. After the attention, the shop kept drawing curious tasters despite the complaints.

Recently, a café in Luoyang launched a coffee drink called "Luoyang Hu La Tang," blending espresso, Dukang liquor, white pepper, beef jerky, and more than 30 other ingredients, priced at 68 yuan per cup, sparking heated discussion online. Some found the flavor novel and fun, but more Luoyang locals exclaimed, "I wouldn't dare drink that," believing this cross-over beverage is too gimmicky and that naming it directly "Luoyang Hu La Tang" could mislead out-of-town tourists. Hu La Tang is a well-known Henan snack, made differently from place to place; although the shop's creativity aims to promote Luoyang's food culture, locals feel it cannot represent authentic Hu La Tang and may even backfire in promoting the traditional snack.

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According to a Dahe Daily report, a café in Luoyang recently launched a coffee called "Luoyang Hu La Tang," attracting many novelty-seeking netizens to check in.

It is said that this Hu La Tang coffee blends espresso, Dukang liquor, white pepper, beef jerky, and more than 30 seasonings. At 68 yuan per cup, many complain that "one cup costs as much as eight bowls of Hu La Tang," yet the store still sees an endless stream of curious tasters.

Some customers who tried it found the drink's flavor unique, with a taste genuinely reminiscent of Hu La Tang—both magical and fun. The owner who designed the drink said they created this coffee special using Hu La Tang as the creative prototype, hoping customers could experience Luoyang's food culture through it.

However, many Luoyang netizens rejected the drink upon seeing it, saying bluntly, "Luoyang people can't drink this stuff," "Locals never drink that coffee Hu La Tang," and "I'm from Luoyang, we don't touch this thing."

Some think "this boundary didn't have to be crossed"—forcing Hu La Tang and coffee into a pairing is simply too gimmicky, and the name alone is enough to put people off; it's hard to accept.

On the other hand, some locals feel it's inappropriate for the shop to directly name the drink "Luoyang Hu La Tang."

Locals say Hu La Tang is a common, well-known snack in Henan; while recipes vary by region, each has its own character—not every place's Hu La Tang adds lots of white pepper powder or garnishes with beef jerky. Although the shop's drink was designed with the popular impression of Hu La Tang in mind, it cannot represent Luoyang's local specialty Hu La Tang.

Therefore, in the eyes of some Luoyang netizens, this "Luoyang Hu La Tang" coffee could mislead out-of-town tourists unfamiliar with Hu La Tang, making them think Hu La Tang is a coffee drink with a peppery flavor. "I think it's better not to use the banner of Luoyang Hu La Tang—it easily misleads outsiders," "Friends from out of town, don't believe it, this isn't Hu La Tang," "Since when did Luoyang's favorite become white pepper?"

In recent years, some baristas design creative drinks based on local foods and snacks, adding distinctive features to shop menus and allowing out-of-town enthusiasts to learn about local food culture through coffee, a trendy medium.

But when designing drinks, some baristas may not be locals and lack deep understanding of local traditional foods, making their coffee specials hard for locals to accept.

Take this "Luoyang Hu La Tang"—though it makes the curious want to investigate,

in locals' eyes, such drinks are "all name, no soul," unable to accurately capture the essence of the food and potentially misleading tourists who come from afar seeking good food,

ultimately backfiring on the promotion of local traditional snacks.

Image source: Internet

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