Pu’er Coffee

 A soy sauce candy latte is not some kind of dark, gimmicky concoction. In fact, soy sauce works surprisingly well with sweetness. I still remember back in 2021, when I had my very first soy sauce candy latte at Shiteng Coffee in Shanghai. It left a deep impression on me. The very first sip delivered a savory, salty burst—like a rocket shooting straight into the sky—instantly hitting my taste buds. The collision between that umami saltiness and boozy, aromatic coffee beans created a malt-sugar-like sweetness. Then, in the second half, a mellow richness pulled everything back into balance. Before I even had time to fully analyze the progression, the cup was already empty. Many people tend to label these kinds of “signature” or “specialty” drinks as dark cuisine—odd combinations that feel illogical, or worse, designed purely to grab attention. I can’t say whether every specialty drink on the market is just chasing eyeballs, but the soy sauce candy latte is a flavor combination with...

 Green beans start with a raw, grassy aroma, and as they roast under intense heat, everything begins to change. At the moment of “first crack,” the beans expand and their flavor shifts—moving from grassy notes to nutty and chocolatey aromas, eventually developing the smoky depth of a dark roast. But here’s something you may have wondered: Why do some coffees carry a distinct smoky character? Is it an inherent trait of the bean, or just a “little accident” during roasting? Today, let’s break down the origins of coffee’s smoky flavor by looking at roast levels and roasting methods. First Things First: The 8 Roast Levels That Define Coffee’s Flavor Profile A coffee’s foundational taste is largely determined by its roast level. In professional roasting, there are eight levels from light to dark, each with its own characteristics—and its own relationship with smokiness: Light Roast (Around the start of first crack) Strong grassy notes with mild aroma and weak body. Very little d...