China’s Coffee Competition
As China’s coffee imports surge, a Shanghai competition is revealing how local tastes differ from global trends. The “Taste of China” Global Specialty Green Coffee Bean Competition in July 2025 featured 82 premium beans from 16 countries, highlighting how Chinese preferences often clash with Western or Southeast Asian markets. This event’s success relies on over 200 international coffee enterprises collaborating through the Hongqiao hub, which facilitated over 3 billion yuan in trade last year.
Foreign producers, despite growing sales to China, still struggle to grasp domestic demand. Over half the entries came from traditional regions like Brazil and Ethiopia, but emerging origins—including China’s own Yunnan and Hainan—drew equal attention. This reflects coffee innovation as producers adapt to unique flavor profiles favored by Chinese consumers.
Judges from top chains like Luckin Coffee and Starbucks, alongside brewing champions, assessed beans for qualities aligned with local trends. While international buyers often prioritize bold, chocolaty notes, Chinese drinkers tend toward brighter acidity and floral or citrus flavors. The gap shows why auctioned top-ten beans—sought by local roasters—rarely match global bestsellers.
Chinese palates favor bright acidity and floral notes over bold chocolaty profiles, making auction-winning beans diverge sharply from global bestsellers.
A public voting phase for the “Most Popular Coffee Award” during a 30-city tour will further test which profiles resonate. Events like these highlight China’s growing coffee culture, now worth 3 billion yuan annually, as a distinct market force.
Parallel events like the Foshan GALA Coffee Festival and COFAIR 2025 in Kunshan underline this shift. Foshan’s 10,000 sqm expo mixed trade booths with public workshops, blending business with education. Held from April 29 to May 3 in Hall 10 of the Tanzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center, the event’s hybrid B2B-B2C format attracted industry professionals and casual enthusiasts alike. Kunshan’s fair, drawing 15,000 visitors, promoted China’s coffee city ambitions by showcasing everything from beans to brewing tech.
Both events reflect institutional pushes to position China as a global coffee hub while reinforcing domestic trends. Even global achievements, like George Jinyang Peng’s 2025 World Brewers Cup win, signal local expertise now rivals international standards.
Yet gaps remain. Many foreign suppliers don’t realize Chinese consumers prefer lighter roasts or experimental processing methods. Competitions act as reality checks: beans popular abroad often underperform in local tastings.
As China’s market grows, its preferences—shaped by urban youth and a booming café culture—are rewriting rules. Global producers aiming for success here can’t rely on old strategies. The message is clear: understanding Chinese coffee innovation isn’t optional—it’s essential.
