Coffee culture: a symbol of middle-class lifestyle

Before I ever made my way to the Middle Kingdom, just hearing the name China would conjure up powerful pictures in my mind. I imagined colorfully robed men sitting around lacquered tables, leisurely sipping tea to the soft sounds of an erhu. The first time I visited China, I learned this vision was far from reality. One thing was correct though, China is a nation of tea drinkers.

I was a bit surprised when I first noticed a Starbucks pop up next to the Beijing Friendship Store in 1999. I curiously entered and ordered a Frappachino to see how it tasted in China. After scanning the cafe, I noticed most of the customers were foreigners and wondered how long it would last.

Luckily for Starbucks, they actually became instrumental in establishing the niche coffee culture now so prevalent in Beijing and Shanghai. While in the west, coffee culture focuses on things like blends, tastes, and brewing techniques, this is not the case in China. To highlight this point, consider the story one of my Italian friends told me of a Chinese man who bought whole coffee beans and then tried to make a homemade cup of Joe. He popped a few beans in a cup and poured boiling water over them.