Yunnan coffee cravings
 

Not sure if it would taste the same at home - maybe it was the Chinese water, or maybe it was just because I was drinking it while having the time of my life in Yunnan! But ever since returning from my trip I've been searching, unsuccessfully, for where I can buy Yunnan coffee here in the US.
Anyone know? Thanks :)

Coffee is a foreign item in Yunnan, as it's not grown or produced there. At least I've never heard of any. You should have asked them what grinds or beans they were using.

Coffee has been grown in Yunnan since the 19th century as a result of French influence from the south and French intentions to expand north into China from what is now Vietnam. There were French consulates at Simao (although the consul spent rather more time in Kunming), and, of course, two narrow gauge lines were built from Hanoi into China.

In the 1980s when even instant coffee was pretty hard to find in Beijing, fresh ground coffee could found at various locations in Kunming, Xishuangbanna, etc. as a result of its introduction by the French.

It is still grown there.

Peter N-H

Actually, I think they do grow coffee in Yunnan, but they may not export it.

The Chinese like to roast their coffee with lots of butter, which is what gives it a unique flavor. You *might* be able to find some Vietnamese coffee like Trung Nguyen in the US, that might have a similar taste.

Never had the coffee but sounds yummy. Here is some googled information

http://www.yunnancoffee.org/index.html

Aloha!

Sorry, I was thinking about the NW part of Yunnan, as I was just reading another thread about Lijiang.

Yes, the southern part can have coffee grown and have French influence.

I was also thinking about Starbucks (or equivalent in Kunming or Lijiang. :) )

Apologize for my quick and incorrect answer.

Trung Nguyen is definitely available in the US. I have some in the cupboard right now that came from a Vietnamese specialty store in Raleigh, NC, along with the metal drip cup to make it.

Just wanted to follow up and say thanks for the Vietnamese coffee rec. I received my order today - a sampler of different varieties plus the metal filters - and I'm looking forward to trying them all!

Nutella,
I am a coffee addict and want to know if the coffee you ordered tastes like the coffee you had in Yunnan.
Thanks!

Hi M, I had one cup so far, and between not knowing how much of the grinds to use and the little metal filter, it looks like there will be some trial and error involved LOL. I'll report back when I approximate what it's SUPPOSED to taste like :)

I don't know whether you can get it to taste like the coffee you had in Yunnan, but I find that the Trung Nguyen tastes very much like the coffee in Vietnam (although I drink it hot and black instead of iced with condensed milk!!)

I just ordered some with the little metal brewer thing...always in search of a good cup of coffee :)