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From Zhukula to the world stage

从朱苦拉到世界舞台

The history of coffee in China dates back Cold Brew Technology is committed
over a century. In 1904, a Frenchman plant- to producing specialty coffee from Yun-
ed the first coffee bushes in Zhukula, a Yi nan beans. The company achieves this by
ethnic village in Binchuan County, marking assembling a professional technical team,
the beginning of coffee cultivation in the independently researching and designing
country. cold brew coffee production equipment, and
True large-scale cultivation of Yunnan tailoring Yunnan cold brew products, all
coffee commenced in 1952. That year, while consistently enhancing coffee quality.
experts from the Yunnan Academy of Agri- “We have obtained over 50 patents, includ-
cultural Sciences distributed 80kg of coffee ing three invention patents,” explained Wu
seeds to farmers in Lujiangba, Baoshan Xiaoxuan, Chairman of Yunnan Cold Brew
City, and guided them in extensive planting. Technology Co., Ltd. “These innovations
As the cultivation area expanded, Baoshan enable us to precisely extract the full flavor
became China’s first region to industrialize and aroma of coffee while also separating
coffee cultivation. undesirable notes. This deep processing has
The late 1980s marked a significant significantly increased our production of
period for Yunnan coffee. Amidst Nestlé’s specialty coffee. Last year, we also added
expansion into the Chinese and surrounding a new spray drying production line: the
markets, Pu’er City in Yunnan Province initial portion of raw material is used for
launched a UN Development Programme cold brew freeze-dried coffee, the latter for
(UNDP) coffee cooperation project. This spray-dried coffee, and the extracted coffee
initiative brought an influx of foreign cap- grounds are repurposed as fertilizer, ensur-
ital, advanced technology, equipment, and ing full utilization of raw materials.”
talent, enabling Yunnan to establish China’s Yunnan’s primary coffee-producing
first modern coffee factory. By the early 21 st regions have now expanded to six: Pu’er,
century, international brands like Maxwell Lincang, Baoshan, Dehong, Xishuangban-
House, Kraft, and Starbucks had established na, and Nujiang. As of the close of 2024,
operations in Yunnan, leading to the gradual provincial data showed a coffee planting
recognition of Yunnan coffee’s quality on a area of 1.267 million mu (approximately
world-class level. 84,467 hectares) and a production volume
In recent years, the technological capa- of 146,000 tons. The agricultural output
bilities of Yunnan’s coffee industry have value neared 5 billion yuan, representing a
rapidly advanced, particularly in deep pro- 13% year-on-year growth. The average raw
cessing. This includes sophisticated stages bean price was 41 yuan per kilogram.
like roasting, grinding, extraction and As the origin of coffee cultivation in
concentration, and freeze-drying. A prime China, Yunnan’s geographical environment
example is the deep processing facility of and climatic conditions are inherently ideal
Yunnan Jinkelong Coffee Industry Co., Ltd. for coffee growth. In particular, its tiered
in Simao Industrial Park, Pu’er City, where altitudes and diverse mountain and river
smart production lines efficiently transform landscapes provide unique conditions for
raw coffee beans into freeze-dried products coffee to thrive and develop a distinct Ar-
in a mere 30 hours. abica flavor: “rich but not bitter, aromatic
“In 2023, we successfully developed and but not intense, with a hint of fruitiness.” As
launched additive-free cold brew ready- experts have commented, “seeds from the
to-drink coffee beverages, putting us a full African continent have been nurtured in the
year ahead of our peers. The product im- subtropical monsoon-soaked soil, catalyzing
mediately reached full production capacity a distinct Chinese flavor.”
upon launch,” said Wu Xiaoxuan, Chairman
of Yunnan Cold Brew Technology Co., Ltd.