Shiguping, also known as Shiguping or Shiguping, is a little-known village in Bu County in the Fenghuang mountain area. The oolong tea produced here has an ancient and unique variety, and is even considered one of the origins of Minnan and Taiwan oolong tea. Compared with Fenghuang Dancong and Wenshan Baozhong, Shiguping oolong is more deeply fermented, with a more mature aroma, honey and fruity notes, and a round, full mouthfeel. This article will guide you through the true characteristics of Shiguping oolong, its aroma type classification, and its differences from Wenshan Baozhong and Fenghuang Dancong, and will also explore why this traditional fine tea is now scarce in production. Front Street Coffee recommends that you savor this rare oolong forgotten by time. [more…]

Oolong tea, as a semi-fermented tea, accounts for only 2% of global production, yet Taiwan has become an important oolong-producing region thanks to its exquisite craftsmanship. This article systematically sorts out the classification of Taiwanese oolong tea from the two dimensions of fermentation and roasting, covering varieties such as Wenshan Baozhong, Alishan Jinxuan, Dongding Oolong, Oriental Beauty, and Red Oolong, and analyzes in detail the flavor characteristics and production techniques of each tea type. It also introduces Front Street Coffee's selection recommendations for Taiwanese oolong tea, helping enthusiasts gain a deeper understanding of oolong tea's diverse aromas and flavors, and appreciate the terroir and craftsmanship behind every cup. [more…]

Want to enjoy a refreshing glass of iced Tieguanyin or cold-brewed oolong tea, but aren't sure how to sort the tea leaves or control the water temperature and timing? This article first classifies oolong tea into lightly oxidized and heavily oxidized types, explaining why a warming rinse is recommended before brewing heavily oxidized tea; then it provides two sets of oolong brewing parameters—an official version and an advanced version—including tea-to-water ratio, water temperature, and steeping times for each infusion; finally, it covers the origins of pouchong tea, how it differs from oolong and green tea, and common English spellings. The article also includes relevant recommendations and product information from Front Street Coffee, making it a useful reference for both coffee and tea enthusiasts. [more…]

Although Uganda is a landlocked country in Africa, it is the world's tenth-largest coffee-producing country, with abundant water resources and dense forests. For a long time, its coffee quality was constrained by transportation and processing conditions, leaving a gap compared with its East African neighbors. After the end of the war in 1990, transportation gradually developed, and coffee became the country's most important agricultural product. Ugandan coffee is mainly Robusta, with Arabica accounting for only 6%. Its grading follows the Kenyan system, with AA being the highest grade. The AA-grade beans from Yunpu Farm in the Bugisu producing region are the most renowned traditional Arabica there. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article will sort out its origin background, farm information, variety processing, and flavor performance, introducing you to this coffee with notes of cinnamon, fennel, and Baozhong tea. [more…]

This month we will visit one of Taiwan's oldest tea regions—Pinglin District in New Taipei City—to explore its unique tea-making traditions and rare teas. Pinglin has been producing Puchong oolong tea since the 1880s. Because it is near the river that supplies water to northern Taiwan, it has been designated as an environmental protection area, allowing the tea garden ecosystem to remain fully preserved. In the past, when tea was dried, it was wrapped into square paper packets. This craft, introduced from Fujian, is called "bao cha" (wrapped tea). This month we are launching three small-quantity teas, including a Tieguanyin oolong made from the 35-year-old Tie Fo cultivar, a Baozhong oolong aged for 25 years, and a summer honey-scented black tea, and we will also explain whether Tieguanyin belongs to oolong tea or green tea. [more…]

Yunnan coffee is commonly known as Yunnan small bean, with uniform and plump beans and a mellow, moderate taste. Its cultivation history can be traced back to 1904, when the French missionary Tian De'neng brought Typica to Zhugula Village in Binchuan County. Today, Catimor and its improved varieties are widely planted in Yunnan, while high-quality varieties such as Typica, Bourbon, and Geisha account for only a small portion. Front Street Coffee's planting trials in Lincang show that Typica can present flavors of nuts, brown sugar, and slight fruit acidity. Yunnan coffee is mainly distributed in Lincang, Pu'er, Baoshan, Xishuangbanna, Wenshan, Dehong, and other places. Each production area forms a unique microclimate thanks to high altitude, abundant sunshine, and distinct dry and rainy seasons. The processing method is mainly washed. Sun-dried and washed methods bring different flavor directions, and Front Street Coffee's sun-dried and washed Catimor are typical examples. [more…]

Taiwan's black tea development spans the Japanese colonial period's introduction and promotion, the post-World War II export decline, and the variety revival since the new millennium. In 1923, Assam tea seeds were introduced from India, and Sun Moon Lake became the most successful production area thanks to its 600-800 meter elevation and humid, misty climate. In 1936, the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station was established, and black tea once accounted for more than half of Taiwan's total output. After 1971, export trade shrank, and tea farmers switched to producing oolong tea. It was not until 1999 and 2008 that TRES successively released TTES No. 18 (Ruby Black Tea) and TTES No. 21, injecting new vitality into Taiwan's black tea. This article will trace this history, compare the flavor characteristics of the two representative varieties, and introduce the high-quality Taiwan black teas recommended by Front Street Coffee. [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…]

Although Taiwan oolong tea and Phoenix Dancong both belong to the oolong tea category, they present completely different aromas and flavors due to differences in origin environment, tea tree varieties, production techniques, and fermentation levels. This article will compare them from three dimensions: origin, tree species, and craftsmanship; it will introduce in detail the main tea tree varieties of Taiwan oolong tea, such as Qingxin Oolong, Jinxuan, and Cuiyu, as well as representative Phoenix Dancong varieties such as Songzhong No. 1, Songzhong Baxian, and Ginger Flower Fragrance. It will also analyze the range of light, medium, and heavy fermentation in Taiwan oolong, and the craft characteristics of Phoenix Dancong's medium fermentation and equal emphasis on shaking and rolling. Through this article, you will clearly understand where Taiwan oolong's "throat rhyme" and Phoenix Dancong's "mountain rhyme" come from, as well as the characteristics of related products recommended by Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Making a delicious glass of iced black tea at home is actually not complicated—the key is simply striking the right balance among tea leaves, water, and time. This article will introduce two ways to make iced black tea: cold brewing and hot brewing. It will go over the steps for each, the types of tea they suit, and the occasions they are best for, and compare the flavor differences between the two methods. The article uses loose-leaf tea for demonstration, but tea bags work just as well. In addition, it will recommend oolong and herbal teas suitable for cold brewing, as well as Front Street Coffee's teaware and tea selections, to help you easily make a satisfying glass of iced black tea at home. [more…]

Want to know where China's coffee-growing regions actually are, and what the quality and flavor of Yunnan coffee beans is like? This article will take you through the tortuous development of Yunnan coffee from its introduction in 1904 to the present, sort out the characteristic differences between the two major varieties, Typica and Catimor, and explain in detail the terroir conditions of core producing areas such as Baoshan and Lincang. At the same time, we retain Front Street Coffee's selection approach for Baoshan Catimor and Lincang sun-dried Typica, with pour-over parameters and flavor descriptions attached, to help coffee lovers fully understand the potential and charm of Yunnan beans. [more…]

Yunnan is the core coffee-producing region in China, and the small-bean coffee produced in its Pu'er area has attracted much attention in recent years. This article systematically sorts out the geographical and climatic advantages, variety introduction, and grading system of Yunnan coffee, with a focus on analyzing the flavor characteristics of Pu'er AA sun-dried coffee beans. From the variety evolution of Typica and Bourbon to Catimor, and then to the flavor differences between washed and sun-dried processing methods, the article also specially includes Front Street Coffee's brewing parameter suggestions and product recommendations, providing coffee lovers with a comprehensive guide to Yunnan coffee and taking you deeper into the coffee story of this golden growing belt. [more…]

Yunnan, as China's largest coffee-producing region, enjoys unique geographical and climatic conditions that provide exceptional advantages for coffee cultivation. Production areas such as Pu'er, Baoshan, Dehong, and Lincang each have their own distinctive characteristics, with Pu'er being the largest coffee-producing region in the country by planted area. This article will provide a detailed analysis of the natural conditions for coffee cultivation in Yunnan, particularly the climatic features of the Pu'er production area, and offer an in-depth introduction to the characteristics and differences of major cultivated varieties such as Typica, Bourbon, and Catimor. At the same time, we will compare the effects of washed and natural processing methods on the flavor of Yunnan Catimor, and share Front Street Coffee's parameter recommendations and flavor performance in actual brewing, taking you through a comprehensive understanding of the current state and charm of Yunnan coffee. [more…]

Yunnan small-bean coffee belongs to the Arabica species and is mainly grown in the high-altitude mountainous areas of Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Baoshan, Dehong, and other regions. Traditional washed processing gives it a clean and bright cup, with a complex flavor profile of nuts, herbs, chocolate, and brown sugar. This article will systematically introduce the varietal characteristics of Yunnan small-bean coffee and its washed processing flow, and recommend two products—Front Street Coffee Yunnan Small Bean and Front Street Coffee Dark Cocoa Blend—to help coffee lovers experience the charm of Yunnan coffee all the way from single-origin to espresso. [more…]

Why is Yunnan coffee called "small bean"? Does it actually belong to the Arabica variety? Starting from variety classification, this article sorts out the geographical growing conditions and traditional washed processing methods of Yunnan coffee, and takes an in-depth look at its role in espresso blending. With its complex flavors of nuts, herbs, chocolate, and brown sugar, along with a lively, bright acidity, Yunnan small bean coffee has become an excellent choice as a base bean for blending. The article also specifically introduces the flavor performance of Front Street Yunnan Small Bean Washed beans, and how Front Street Dark Cocoa Blend combines Yunnan and Brazilian coffee to create an espresso experience with balanced acidity, sweetness, and bitterness. [more…]

In recent years, the Yunnan coffee-producing region has continued to expand the varieties it cultivates, from the common Typica, Bourbon, and Catimor to the Geisha introduced by Aini Estate, whose cupping performance has been surprising. This estate, located in Pu'er, welcomed more than 30 precious varieties seven years ago with the assistance of Starbucks and the Yunnan provincial government, and has now become a world coffee variety exposition garden. This article walks you through the flavor and price of Yunnan Geisha, and sorts out the characteristics of varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, Villalobos, and Regina, while retaining Front Street brand recommendations, to provide coffee enthusiasts with a guide to Yunnan coffee varieties. [more…]

In recent years, thanks to the efforts of many people, the quality of Yunnan coffee has continued to improve and has won considerable recognition, and there are many fans of Yunnan coffee here in China. For those who have never tried Yunnan coffee, you must be curious about what it tastes like. Why choose the small-bean coffee from the Baoshan growing region? At present, Yunnan Province's coffee [more…]

Yunnan's Pu'er is undergoing a transformation from instant coffee raw material to specialty coffee, with Starbucks, young entrepreneurs, and specialty brands all rushing in. What makes Yunnan capable of growing coffee? It sits in the golden growing belt near the Tropic of Cancer, with suitable altitude and climate. From the first coffee tree planted by missionaries in Zhukula Village in 1904 to today, when Catimor has become the dominant variety, Yunnan coffee has gone through three waves of development. This article sorts out the variety evolution and flavor characteristics of Yunnan arabica coffee, as well as Front Street Coffee's practice of establishing its own estate in Lincang to grow Typica and adopting sun-dried processing, to help you rediscover the true standard of Yunnan specialty coffee. [more…]

Yunnan coffee has continued to improve in quality in recent years and has attracted increasing attention from domestic coffee enthusiasts. For those who have not yet tried Yunnan beans, their flavor profile is a source of curiosity. This article will guide you through the main producing regions of Yunnan small-bean coffee—especially the cultivation history and natural conditions of Lujiangba in Baoshan—sort out the evolution of varieties from Typica to Catimor, analyze how washed and natural processing methods affect flavor, and recommend two products from Front Street Coffee: the washed Yunnan small-bean coffee and the natural Typica, helping you find a Yunnan coffee that suits your taste. [more…]

Yunnan is located on a low-latitude plateau, with a climate similar to Colombia's and elevations mostly between 800 and 1,600 meters, providing an ideal growing environment for specialty coffee. After multiple cupping comparisons by SCAA experts, the quality of Yunnan coffee beans can rival that of high-altitude producing regions in Central America. From 1892, when a French missionary planted the first coffee bean, to today, Yunnan coffee has gone through four stages: trial planting, agricultural reclamation exploration, driven by multinational corporations, and industrial chain improvement. Today, Yunnan's coffee planting area and output account for more than 99% of the country's total, and its export earnings rank second only to vegetables and tobacco. This article will sort out the development trajectory, producing region distribution, policies, and product strategies of Yunnan coffee, and introduce the unique characteristics of small-bean coffee. [more…]