Yunnan's coffee planting area has climbed from over 300,000 mu in 2008 to more than 1.4 million mu today, with output once accounting for over 99% of the national total. Yet the expansion of the industry's scale has not been smooth sailing. Since 2012, international coffee futures prices have continued to decline, leaving Yunnan coffee farmers struggling at the edge of the cost line; the 2014 harvest season was hit by a triple blow of drought, cold damage, and the abandonment of harvesting, causing output to plummet from an expected 100,000 tons to less than 60,000 tons, while purchase prices, driven by factors such as drought in Brazil, saw their largest single-month increase in 20 years. Lincang, as an emerging main producing area, rose rapidly, and companies such as Lingfeng Coffee began implementing quality traceability systems. This article will review the cultivation situation, flavor characteristics, and future development trends of Yunnan Arabica coffee beans. [more…]

When making espresso, a thick layer of golden crema floating on the surface often makes people feel the coffee is rich and full of aroma. If you want to enhance this visual and taste performance, roast level is indeed an important clue, but it cannot be simply understood as "the darker the more." The bean variety, blend ratio, freshness, and machine extraction status all [more…]

According to Ethiopian media reports on September 14, 2025, exporters in Ethiopia recently stated that their businesses are facing severe disruptions due to outdated systems and poor communication between financial institutions and the National Bank [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge and sharing, please follow our WeChat official account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). Many newcomers to coffee feel very confused when they see coffee terms containing "Mocha." Views on Mocha coffee differ between those who start with espresso-based coffee and those who start with single-origin coffee. [more…]

Huakui coffee is a single-origin coffee from Ethiopia, renowned for its explosive aroma and sweetness, with a highly distinctive taste. It once won first place in the sun-dried bean category of the 2017 Ethiopian International Coffee Cupping, and this batch of green beans was named "Huakui" because of its champion status. In the [more…]

The word "Mocha" appears with extremely high frequency in the coffee world, but what exactly does it refer to? Friends new to coffee are often confused by the three things: mocha coffee beans, the mocha coffee drink, and the moka pot. In fact, their origins may span one or two centuries, and there is no direct derivative relationship between them, yet they all happen to share the name "Mocha." To sort out this relationship, the clues trace back to the Port of Mocha in Yemen. This article will break down the true meaning of these three "Mochas" one by one from three angles: historical origins, flavor characteristics, and brewing principles, and will also include Front Street Coffee's practical advice on choosing beans for the moka pot. [more…]

Espresso has been around for quite some time now. It is the pride of Italians and, at the same time, a cultural treasure that Italian coffee has brought to the world. In feel, it is somewhat similar to the contribution Ethiopian varieties have made to specialty coffee. Italian coffee spread from Italy to the rest of the world and became a status symbol. [more…]

When it comes to mocha coffee, many people think of the espresso-based milk coffee with chocolate sauce added that is served in coffee shops today. A small number of people think of Yemeni mocha coffee. In this article, Front Street Coffee will explain the difference between espresso mocha coffee and single-origin mocha coffee! What is single-origin mocha coffee? Yemeni mocha [more…]

一场由微软Microsoft 365服务中断引发的全球性数字事故，让搭载Windows系统的设备集体“蓝屏”，航空、金融、教育等多个行业陷入瘫痪。星巴克作为受波及的知名品牌，美国、加拿大等地大量门店收银系统失灵，移动点单和支付功能被迫暂停，部分门店甚至直接闭店或给顾客免单。国内部分星巴克门店同样未能幸免，电脑故障迫使店员回归“手写杯时代”，通过啡快下单后手动标注需求。微软随后宣布根本问题已修复，但残余影响仍在持续。本文梳理了此次事件对星巴克造成的具体冲击及门店的应对方式。 [more…]

Yunnan coffee has traveled a long and winding road of growth, from the first coffee seedling introduced by missionaries a century ago to its current status as a common choice in specialty coffee shops. This article traces the complete story of Yunnan small-bean coffee—its cultivation origins, the evolution of varieties, and the upgrading of the industry—and also explores the distinct characteristics of the two varieties, Typica and Catimor. For coffee lovers who want to understand the flavors of the Yunnan growing region or who are currently choosing a Yunnan single-origin bean, this article offers a comprehensive reference ranging from historical background to practical brewing, and it also includes Front Street Coffee's Yunnan bean brewing recipe and flavor description. [more…]

A proper espresso will have a delicate golden-brown foam floating on its surface, which Italians call Crema. It is the hallmark of espresso, yet it is often mistaken as the sole criterion for judging whether a coffee is good or bad. What exactly this layer of foam is and how it forms are worth discussing carefully. What is Crema? [more…]

On the bean lists of specialty coffee, variety names like "Typica" and "Bourbon" are appearing more and more frequently. They are two of the older major variety families in the Arabica world, and pour-over enthusiasts can recite their flavors with great familiarity, but their performance in espresso is still not much discussed. This article covers the "espresso [more…]

Sidamo and Guji are the two specialty coffee regions in southern Ethiopia most often mentioned side by side. This article helps you clarify the flavor divide between them from four dimensions: history, geography, variety, and processing method. [more…]

Geisha, a coffee variety whose name sounds like the Japanese word for "entertainer," set out from the Geisha Mountains of southwestern Ethiopia, passed through Kenya, Tanzania, and Costa Rica, and finally made a spectacular debut in Panama. Over more than seventy years, it completed a comeback from obscurity to competition champion, winning first prize in the Panama Boquete Best of Panama cupping competition for three consecutive years from 2005 to 2007, and in 2007 it set a record for competition coffee value at $130 per pound. This article will comprehensively trace Geisha's legendary journey and systematically review common coffee cultivars—Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Pacamara, and others—to introduce you to the rich landscape of Arabica's genetic treasure trove. Front Street Coffee will also recommend Geisha products worth paying attention to in this article. [more…]

Jamaican Blue Mountain is one of the most expensive coffees in the world, known for its mild acidity, balanced body, and unique sparkling sensation. This article takes you through Blue Mountain's history, geography, strict grading system, and why it has been able to maintain a high price. [more…]

When choosing coffee beans, your own taste should be the standard. Generally speaking, lightly roasted African beans tend toward acidity, American beans emphasize aroma, while Indonesian and Blue Mountain beans present a heavier, fuller flavor. The following are some of the most common Arabica coffee beans for beginners. 1. Front Street Mandheling coffee beans, the most expensive coffee in the world [more…]

Choosing coffee beans is based on your own taste preferences. Generally speaking, lightly roasted African coffees tend toward acidity, American coffees highlight aroma, while Indonesian and Blue Mountain coffees present a heavier, more full-bodied flavor. The following are some of the more common Arabica coffee beans for beginners. 1. Front Street Coffee Mandheling coffee beans, the most expensive coffee in the world [more…]

Coffee blending requires two or more single-origin coffees, and a good blend can become the "signature" of a café or coffee brand, and a blended coffee that can become a "signature" must taste delicious and leave a deep impression. Compared to single-origin coffee, blends can produce a rounder and more [more…]

At Front Street Coffee, many friends order latte and mocha, two very popular coffees, and the baristas at Front Street Coffee are also very fond of them. But when it comes to the difference between them, many people probably don't know. Front Street tells you: actually [more…]

Recently, a friend asked Front Street whether those large bags of Blue Mountain coffee sold online for just a few dozen yuan are real. Indeed, because the fame of Blue Mountain coffee is so widespread, counterfeit products keep popping up. So Front Street is here to teach everyone how to identify authentic Blue Mountain coffee beans. What counts as authentic Blue Mountain coffee beans? Authentic Blue Mountain coffee must use coffee beans [more…]