Despite Taiwan’s domestic coffee production, consumption of the drink is not as common as in North America or Europe. Still, in recent years, Taiwanese have not only been drinking more coffee, but also quickly becoming masters at brewing it.
The aroma of coffee fills the audience’s nostrils as Hsu Shih-yuan walks them through the process in English.
Hsu is soft-spoken and constantly smiling, so some might be surprised to learn that she is this year’s reigning champion of the WCE Coffee Brewers Cup.
She says some people think her key to success is her relaxing and positive attitude when describing her process to the jurors.
Hsu decided to become a barista after three years of military service, but her natural talent makes up for the relatively late start.
Hsu came in fifth at the 2019 Coffee Brewers Cup, represented Taiwan again in 2020, and after a break due to the pandemic, she brought home the championship in 2022. She says the fight was tough and she’s surprised to have won.
Hsu is not the only prominent barista from Taiwan and the country itself is drinking more and more of the black nectar of the gods.
Coffee imports increased by five percent between 2017 and 2020. The average Taiwanese person drinks 124 cups of coffee per year, for a total of over 2.8 billion.
Wu Yi-ling from the Taiwan Coffee Association says bean imports have gone up tenfold in recent years.
This much coffee and great baristas may not matter to everyone, but for those who share Hsu Shih-yuan’s passion, (gulp) it makes all the difference.
Tomasz Koper, RTI News