Recently, a coffee shop launched a signature drink called "Chaoshan Poison," sparking heated discussion online. In Chaoshan cuisine, "Chaoshan Poison" has long been synonymous with raw-marinated seafood, yet this coffee, priced at 45 yuan, is primarily made with cold brew coffee and green olive juice, garnished with Chaoshan aged medicinal kumquat and bamboo-salt wampee—a far cry from public perception. Chaoshan netizens have voiced their displeasure in dialect, arguing that the name misleads consumers and that the shop lacks understanding of local food culture. This article will review the course of events and explore the boundary between creative local specialty coffee and naming. [more…]

In Guangdong, chicken is the undisputed star of the dining table—a single phrase, "no chicken, no feast," says it all. But can you imagine? Guangdong's baristas have actually poured ginger-scallion chicken, coconut chicken, sesame oil Qingping chicken, and even sausage and roast duck right into coffee cups. From ginger juice with cream to mimic the oily texture of chicken skin, to the essence of coconut chicken hot pot condensed into a single specialty drink, to sesame oil and vodka colliding to create the aroma of ginger-scallion poached chicken, these wildly imaginative creative coffees are upending people's understanding of coffee. This article takes you through tasting these "so weird you want to try them" Cantonese specialty drinks one by one, to feel the wondrous sparks struck by the collision of coffee and Cantonese cuisine. For more specialty coffee bean news, welcome to follow Coffee Workshop and Front Street Coffee. [more…]

In late February, Heytea launched a new product inspired by Chaoshan licorice fruit, the "Nanjiang Licorice Guava Bottle," mixing guava juice, nanjiang plum powder, licorice powder, dried tangerine peel powder, and preserved plum powder with a tea base and oil mandarin juice, in an effort to replicate the flavor of street-side licorice fruit. However, after this distinctly Chaoshan-flavored new product hit the market, controversy has been continuous: Chaoshan consumers generally reported that they could not taste the nanjiang flavor they remembered, while customers from outside the Chaoshan region were full of doubts about how strong the ginger flavor was and whether it was spicy. More notably, multiple consumers drank a complete round sealing paper from the bottle, suspected to be caused by the double-layer sealing design allowing the paper to be pushed into the drink by the straw. Heytea customer service responded that the paper is a food-contact-grade material and does not affect consumption. This article will sort out the development approach, packaging design, and the ins and outs of the foreign object incident for this new product. [more…]

Chaoshan Gongfu tea is not a specific type of tea, but a traditional brewing technique originating from Chaozhou, Guangdong. Oolong tea is the most commonly used, and it is especially suitable for brewing Phoenix Dan Cong. It emphasizes short, repeated infusions, with each steep lasting only 3 to 10 seconds, allowing the tea leaves to gradually unfurl and release layered aromas and flavors. Gongfu tea has developed into three styles: Chaoshan, Fujian, and Taiwan. Among them, the Chaoshan style uses a tea boat, a gaiwan or ceramic pot, and three teacups arranged in a triangular formation, symbolizing the Chinese character "品" (pin). This article will also introduce how to brew Phoenix Dan Cong with a gaiwan and recommend related product lines from the Front Street Coffee brand, helping coffee enthusiasts experience the refined nuances of tea culture across categories. [more…]

Chaoshan Gongfu Tea is a shining pearl in Chinese tea culture, originating from Chaozhou, Guangdong, right next to Phoenix Mountain, which is also the hometown of the fragrant Phoenix Dancong Oolong. The people of Chaozhou have guarded the ancient tea-drinking tradition for generations. Gongfu tea is not just a way of brewing tea, but a lifestyle attitude. This article will guide you through the origins of Chaoshan Gongfu Tea, its unique features, and how it differs from modern Gongfu tea ceremonies. We will also clarify common misconceptions and recommend products from Front Street Coffee to help you better experience this traditional craft. [more…]

Recently, Shenzhen's Heytea was investigated by regulators for suspected false advertising over a cup of olive juice priced at a thousand yuan, sparking heated discussion among netizens. Many consumers left comments on Weibo asking whether they could get a refund with their receipt, and the incident once again reminds everyone to consume rationally. Meanwhile, why can Chaoshan olives sell for such a high price? This article analyzes the whole story of the incident, the regulatory investigation, and raw material costs, taking you through the business logic behind the thousand-yuan juice and the preciousness of Chaoshan olives. [more…]

Osmanthus Fragrance Dancong is a category of oolong tea with particularly outstanding aroma. The finished tea has a golden and bright liquor color, with a rich floral fragrance and good durability for multiple infusions. To truly bring out its flavor, the brewing method of Chaoshan Gongfu Tea is worth understanding in depth. This article begins with the difference between Gongfu Tea and the Way of Tea, then sorts out the core utensils and key operating points of Chaoshan Gongfu Tea, including the pairing of a small clay stove, a Yixing pot or thin porcelain gaiwan, a tea boat, and small thin porcelain cups, as well as key details such as rapid pouring and brewing with living water. At the same time, drawing on Front Street Coffee's brewing experience, it helps readers understand how to use 6 to 8 grams of tea leaves and a small vessel of no more than 90 milliliters to complete a flash brew within 3 to 5 seconds, thereby obtaining a tea liquor with high aroma and a full-bodied mouthfeel. Whether you are a beginner who has just come into contact with Gongfu Tea or an enthusiast hoping to refine your technique, you can find practical ideas for reference here. [more…]

Chaoshan Gongfu Tea is a shining pearl in Chinese tea culture, originating from Chaozhou, Guangdong, and still preserving an ancient and pure brewing tradition to this day. Unlike the modern Gongfu tea popular today, Chaoshan Gongfu Tea emphasizes a high tea-to-water ratio and quick pours, brewing only three times to pursue the richest aroma and flavor. This article will introduce in detail the historical origins of Chaoshan Gongfu Tea, the tea-to-water ratio, the choice of tea utensils, and the complete eight-step brewing method, helping you master this traditional skill. Whether you are trying it for the first time or hoping to refine your technique, you will gain practical guidance from it. [more…]

What types of oolong tea does Heytea actually offer? Is its high-mountain oolong actually Taiwan Dong Ding oolong? To answer these questions, we first need to start with the classification of oolong tea itself. Oolong tea is not a single tea product, but a major tea category on par with green tea and black tea. Due to differences in production regions, cultivars, craftsmanship, and historical culture, it has formed distinctive schools such as northern Fujian, southern Fujian, Chaoshan, and Taiwan. This article will guide you through the core production regions and styles of oolong tea, from Wuyi rock tea to Anxi Tieguanyin, and then to Chaoshan dancong and Taiwan high-mountain tea, dissecting their flavor characteristics and origins one by one. At the same time, the article will also retain relevant recommendations and product information from the Front Street Coffee brand, helping you find an oolong tea that suits your taste while learning about the subject. [more…]

Chaoshan Gongfu Tea is renowned for its rich aroma and mellow body, emphasizing a high tea-to-water ratio and quick pours—each infusion lasting no more than ten seconds, with only three rounds before the leaves are discarded. Three 25ml thin-walled small cups are always arranged on the tea table in a "品" (pin) shape, which is both a tradition and a piece of practical wisdom. This article outlines the complete brewing steps of Chaoshan Gongfu Tea: selecting tea, preparing water, adding leaves, rinsing the pot, skimming foam, washing the tea, pouring into cups, and sipping, while explaining the reasoning behind each step. It also covers details such as unglazed Chaozhou teapots and charcoal-brazier roasting, and mentions related products from the Front Street Coffee brand, offering coffee enthusiasts a cross-disciplinary glimpse into this Eastern brewing system. [more…]

A local milk tea shop in Nanjing launched a realistic-looking "Duck Blood Vermicelli Milk Tea," sparking heated discussion online. Although the product is named after duck blood vermicelli, it is actually made with chocolate milk pudding to mimic duck blood and sweet jelly noodles to stand in for vermicelli, priced at 16 yuan. There are more than 50,000 related posts on Xiaohongshu, with netizens commenting that it "sounds bizarre but tastes surprisingly good." This phenomenon reflects the fierce competition and innovation anxiety in the new-style tea beverage market. From mini milk teas to niche fruits such as oil oranges and wampees, and on to the revival of whole-leaf tea, major brands are competing for consumers through novelty products, regionally distinctive ingredients, and traditional brewing methods. Data shows that China's freshly made tea beverage market reached 113.6 billion yuan in 2020 and is expected to reach 340 billion yuan by 2025. This article will analyze the market logic and consumer trends behind these creative marketing efforts, and also look at the moves of professional brands such as Front Street Coffee within the industry. [more…]

Phoenix Dancong is a highly aromatic famous oolong tea, mainly produced in the Phoenix Mountain area of Chaozhou, Guangdong, and is known as the "perfume of teas" for its rich aroma types and prominent mountain charm. Its formation stems from the tradition of single-plant selection and single-plant harvesting: outstanding tea trees are harvested and processed individually, and over time many aroma types have formed. This article begins with the producing environment, origin of the name, and quality characteristics of Phoenix Dancong, then moves on to the key points of daily brewing: leaf amount, rinsing, and pouring must all be quick, and the water temperature must remain at a boil, so that the tea soup is neither bitter nor astringent and has a high, uplifting aroma. The article also retains relevant recommendations from the Front Street brand, making it convenient for coffee and tea beverage enthusiasts to explore further. [more…]

As the essence of Chinese tea culture, Gongfu tea has developed distinctive brewing systems across different regions. The Gongfu tea styles of Fujian and Taiwan appear more "inclusive" due to the introduction of the fairness cup (gongdao bei): the tea liquor is first poured from the lidded bowl (gaiwan) into the fairness cup, then distributed into tasting cups, ensuring consistent strength in every cup. Both regions also retain the aroma cup, a tall, slender vessel specifically used to capture the complex aromatic layers of oolong tea. The serving process is full of ritual: tea is brewed first, then decanted through the fairness cup, and afterward poured into the aroma cup, which is covered and flipped with the tasting cup; the host slowly lifts the aroma cup to let the guest appreciate the fragrance. Unfortunately, the aroma cup is no longer as popular in Fujian as it is in Taiwan. Fujian people brew Wuyi rock tea this way, while Taiwanese people use it for high-mountain oolong. Gongfu tea is not merely a brewing technique but a practice of mindfulness, sharing a spiritual core with yoga. This article will compare the similarities and differences of Gongfu tea across the three regions in depth, and share Front Street Coffee's understanding of tea ceremony practice. [more…]

A recent new product launch from a certain tea beverage brand has brought Duck Shit Aroma Dancong Oolong back into the public eye, yet many people still know very little about this oolong tea produced in Chaoshan, Guangdong. Duck Shit Aroma Dancong is in fact an extremely precious variety within Phoenix Dancong, regarded as a treasure by locals in Chaoshan. Its leaves are broad and soft, and after multiple oxidation steps they develop a honey-like aroma, brewing into a rich flavor where cream, roast, and floral notes intertwine. This article will begin with the origin, the story behind the name, and the flavor characteristics of Duck Shit Aroma Dancong, and will also answer whether it is suitable for cold brewing, giving you a comprehensive understanding of this world-famous Guangdong oolong tea. [more…]

This October, "Duck Shit Aroma" milk tea sparked a craze on social media, bringing Chaoshan's Phoenix Dancong tea into the public eye. After Nayuki's Tea seized the trend by launching a Duck Shit Aroma beverage, it then applied to register the trademark "Nayuki Duck Shit Aroma," triggering heated discussion online. Supporters see this as a differentiated brand strategy, while opponents question whether a famous regional tea should be monopolized by a company. In fact, tea beverage brands such as Uncle Qiu had long made Duck Shit Aroma a standard tea base—so is tying a niche ingredient to a commercial brand reasonable? This article walks you through the whole incident and explores the boundary between innovation in the tea beverage industry and trademark protection. [more…]

Phoenix Dancong Oolong Tea originates from Fenghuang Town in Chaoshan, Guangdong, and ranks among China's four great oolong teas, alongside Tieguanyin, Wuyi Rock Tea, and Bergamot Tea. Its production process is intricate; the traditional method takes over 20 hours and requires withering, rolling, fermentation, and repeated roasting. The finished tea has a rich aroma and a long, sweet aftertaste. When brewing, it is recommended to use 6 grams of tea leaves with 150 milliliters of hot water, adjusting the water temperature and steeping time according to the degree of oxidation; the leaves can be brewed 3 to 5 times. This article details the production process, brewing key points, and aroma characteristics of Phoenix Dancong, and recommends related products from the Front Street brand, guiding you to deeply appreciate the unique charm of this finest of teas. [more…]

Songzhong Dancong, a treasure among Phoenix Dancong teas, is produced in the high-mountain tea gardens of Wudong Mountain in Phoenix Town, Chaozhou, Guangdong, at an altitude of about 1,400 meters, where the tea trees are around 30 years old and harvested only once a year in spring. Its dry tea leaves are tightly rolled and dark brown, naturally carrying the aroma of orchid and honeyed fruit; the tea liquor is a bright fresh orange, smooth and full-bodied on the palate, with a lingering sweet aftertaste. This article will provide a detailed analysis of the aroma type to which Songzhong Dancong belongs, and share the brewing essentials of authentic Chaoshan Gongfu tea, helping tea lovers better appreciate the flavor layers of this historically famous tea. [more…]

Phoenix Dancong is a Guangdong oolong tea produced in the Phoenix Mountain area of Chaoshan, and its tea tree variety is Phoenix Shuixian. In ancient times, each tree was made into its own tea with a confusing array of names, and later they came to be collectively called "Dancong." Its name is not just a gimmick: some are named by aroma type, some by leaf shape, some by size, some by place of origin, and some from a specific era and background. This article sorts out the naming basis of Phoenix Dancong, reviews the evolution of names from "Songzhong" and "Bird's Beak Tea" to Phoenix Shuixian, explains the origin and flavor characteristics of Duck Shit Aroma, and clarifies the difference between Duck Shit Aroma and Phoenix Baxian Dancong, helping coffee enthusiasts understand this type of tea with a clearer framework. [more…]

Recently, a netizen discovered a Chinese menu at a Nai Xue Tea Academy in Guangzhou, featuring exquisite morning tea dim sum and regional specialty dishes, which sparked widespread attention. Nai Xue Tea Academy is a brand under Nai Xue that focuses on the Chinese tea experience. It just opened its first Guangzhou store last month, also its sixth location and first step outside Shenzhen. The "Nai Xue Chinese restaurant" referred to by netizens is actually a Cantonese fusion cuisine space created by the store in partnership with Zhen·Songshan, allowing customers to dine while enjoying tea. However, the pricing and culinary positioning of the dishes have sparked controversy, with some consumers finding the value for money insufficient, while others pointed out that dishes such as crab roe-stuffed orange seem more like Jiangsu-Zhejiang cuisine. Against the backdrop of Nai Xue withdrawing from multiple locations, whether this cross-industry attempt will be accepted by the market remains to be seen. [more…]

In the cold winter, a cup of hot milk tea always brings a bit of warmth. Prices for drinks on the market range from under ten yuan at Mixue Bingcheng to thirty or forty yuan at Nayuki and Heytea, with most still within what consumers can afford. However, recently a thousand-yuan drink has drawn attention on Weibo's trending topics—an olive juice launched by the Shenzhen milk tea brand Yecuishan, priced as high as 1,000 yuan. This drink uses the rare Chaoshan variety Jinyu Sannian olive, with the raw material costing about 800 yuan per jin on the market, and production taking nearly 3 hours. At the same time, Heytea has taken a stake in Yecuishan, holding 60% to become the largest shareholder, and the brand currently has more than 30 stores. [more…]