The legendary "brown apron" actually made coffee like this

Someone once said that China is the only country in the world that does not drink coffee. However, in the 1980s, the slogan "Every drop is fragrant and you will never get enough" made ordinary people drink instant coffee, even though it is not real coffee.

In the late 1990s, when Shangdao Coffee and Starbucks were introduced to China, Chinese people began to really come into contact with and gradually identify with coffee.

Lanzhou is located in the northwest of China. Before Starbucks entered Lanzhou in 2014, there were already many coffee shops in the streets and alleys. However, many people still did not know much about coffee. However, this did not prevent young people from using it as a gathering place.

In fact, many Lanzhou people still don’t know that the largest and most professional coffee training institution in Northwest China is actually in Lanzhou.

Zhunkefude = drink and food

On March 20, in an inconspicuous alley in Lanzhou Creative Cultural Industry Park, we found the Northwest Branch of Zhunkefude Coffee Academy.

Bai Fang, the founder of Zhunkefude Coffee Academy, has been involved in the coffee industry since 1995 and founded Zhunkefude. She has many international reputations, but everyone in the circle respects her as Teacher Bai.

The first northwest branch of Zhunkefude Coffee Academy in Lanzhou opened in August last year. The principal, Jiang Tao, is a native of Lanzhou. When asked about the origin of the name "Zhunkefude", she smiled and explained that it doesn't sound fancy, but is actually the transliteration of "drink and food". Then she joked that this is indeed a place to learn about eating and drinking.

Start a business with the left hand and have a hobby with the right hand

Since it is a school, it must have its own source of students. However, the students who come here to study have completely different purposes.

Most of the young students come here to start their own business, while others come here purely for personal interest. Although their purposes are different, it does not hinder their understanding and love of coffee: what are the differences between coffee beans from different origins; why the coffee you brew tastes different from the coffee I brew with the same beans.

This does not seem to be a love and understanding of a drink, but more of a study and sublimation of geographical and historical knowledge, personal experience and understanding.

Big profit! The legendary "Brown Apron" live performance

Many coffee lovers know that Starbucks aprons are divided into green, black and the highest grade brown, representing star baristas, coffee masters and coffee ministers respectively.

On the day of the interview at Zhunkefude, we were lucky enough to meet a "brown apron" - Shen Yaning.

Shen Yaning was not only the "brown apron" of Starbucks, but also the champion of the 2017 World Syphon Competition in China. It is a great honor to be able to drink the coffee brewed by him.

The first step is to choose coffee beans. Shen Yaning recommended Ethiopian coffee beans, which are not very bitter and have a light fruity aroma, and are most suitable for students who "don't like bitterness".

First, heat the water temperature to about 96 degrees Celsius and leave it for one or two minutes. While the water is boiling, he weighed 20g of Ethiopian coffee beans and put them into a grinder to grind them into fine sugar granules.

Place the folded filter paper on the filter cup, pour hot water evenly on the filter paper, make the filter paper completely wet and tightly attached to the filter cup, then pour out the hot water in the sharing pot. There are three benefits to doing this:

1. Rinse off the impurities and paper smell of the filter paper;

2. Make the filter paper stick to the filter cup;

3. Warm the filter cup and sharing pot.

Next, put the ground coffee powder into the filter paper, start adding water from the middle, and then draw concentric circles in one direction until the outside, but do not flush it onto the filter paper. Then draw concentric circles until the center, and repeat this process. Keep the water flow steady. Add water twice, and finally weigh 300g of water.

Tips

The coffee bubble we see in the picture is also called a “mushroom cloud”. The appearance of a mushroom cloud when brewing coffee means that the coffee beans are very fresh!

After filling the water, remove the filter cup, and the delicious coffee is in the sharing pot. After tasting it, the editor has a new understanding of black coffee. The rich coffee aroma is accompanied by a little acidity. It stays in the mouth for 3-5 seconds before swallowing. The astringency disappears, leaving only the mellow aftertaste and fruity taste.

Pay attention!! Here comes the key point——

What should you do if you want to make hand-brewed coffee at home? You don’t know how to choose coffee beans and you don’t have professional equipment... In fact, brewing coffee does not require expensive equipment, sophisticated techniques, or precise proportions. You only need a pack of drip coffee.

Follow the steps shown in the picture, it’s very simple, isn’t it?

A cup of exquisite coffee must be accompanied by beautiful latte art, and latte art requires a very profound foundation. Mr. Jin here made 2 cups of latte art himself, and we were fortunate to watch the whole process. It turns out that watching a top barista make latte art can also be a kind of enjoyment.

The Brown Apron is indeed worthy of its reputation. Drinking the coffee he personally brewed really overturned my previous feelings and concepts about coffee. It seems that it is not just a cup of drink, but more of a culture and the accumulation of years.

Contact us for interview

Please call Lanzhou Morning News New Media

Cooperation contact number: 0931-8158967

Text/Lanzhou Morning Post Mobile Lanzhou reporter Zhang Xin Yin Shi Jingyu

Photo: Lanzhou Morning Post reporter Chen Ruoming

Editor: Yang Qianyun