This is our first time introducing coffee from Yunnan, China to our line-up. Head Roaster Kosuke interviewed our partnering importer Tyou-san (Mountain Mover Coffee) - let us share his story with you.
About Tyou-san
Born in Shanghai, China, Tyou-san came to Japan around 10 years ago when he was a university student. He taught himself how to brew and roast coffee, and his passion did not end there; he is now involved in coffee production in Yunnan while also importing and distributing the offerings to the Japanese market.
Coffee Production in Yunnan
Nestle began their coffee production project in Yunnan in 1988 and this marked a turning point for Yunnan’s coffee history. Previously, though the area was producing coffee under the Chinese government’s initiative, tea and tobacco production were much larger in scale. However, coffee production increased since Nestle came in to educate farmers with the essentials for producing coffee and guarantee fair and stable trade. Today, more than 95% of coffee produced in China comes from Yunnan and the population of coffee farmers is increasing.
About Mountain Mover Coffee
If I were to explain the team in one sentence - I would say they are “a team of coffee process enthusiasts who strive to improve the quality of Yunnan coffee.”
I first met them at SCAJ 2021. I tried their coffee at their iconic orange and yellow cupping booth. Tyou-san, the head of Mountain Mover Coffee, aims to spread Yunnan coffee in Japan while also communicating with the local producers of Yunnan and testing out processes with great passion. Specialty coffee production and its quality is now a hot topic in China, and the processing method will play a key role in taking Yunnan coffee to a new level. If you take a look at Mountain Mover Coffee’s website, you will find that the details of each process is explained carefully.
Now talking about the actual quality of the coffee we purchased -
The coffee is from Puer, one of the most active coffee production areas in Yunnan. It’s a mix of Catimor, Typica and Bourbon - on top of that, it is uniquely processed with the method “triple fermentation natural.”
What is Triple Fermentation Natural?
“Same as the honey process, ripe coffee cherries are washed, sorted and anaerobically fermented for 48 hours. After the first fermentation, they are left to dry under the sun for another 48 hours and then put under the same fermentation process again. After the third fermentation, the official drying stage begins. Multiple anaerobic fermentation processes produce complex flavours, and in particular you can taste the notes of sweet and sour muscats and richness of Kyoho-grapes. The aftertaste is bittersweet like dark chocolate, overall presenting an elegant impression.
Lastly, the demand for specialty coffee has boomed in China and it is becoming increasingly difficult for the overseas market to access quality Yunnan coffee.
The growth of the domestic market ensures the farmers to gain stable profit without facing the uncertainties of international affairs and logistics. However, Tyou-san believes that it is crucial for Yunnan coffee to enter the global market and compete with renowned origins in order to take its quality to a higher level.
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We're very fortunate to be able to work with Mountain Mover Coffee to share with our customers quality specialty coffee from Yunnan. Find out more from here.
