Pu’er Coffee

 Every time I go to a coffee expo, it feels like I need to come away with something for it to feel worthwhile. For me, the biggest value of these events is that they offer a concentrated window into brands and products that are new, distinctive, and sometimes even pleasantly surprising. What I’m sharing this time is another discovery from late November last year at the Shanghai Coffee Expo—a startup roastery from Shanghai called Stellaria . I noticed their booth the moment I walked by. The packaging was fresh and clean, and you could sense the emotional value the brand wanted to convey through subtle design details. They have a rather romantic and idealistic interpretation of their brand story: “Named after ‘celestial radiance,’ and paired with the simple ‘-ia’ suffix to enhance memorability, Stellaria captures the essence of youth and cutting-edge technological design. In Chinese, it evokes the poetic image of stars drifting quietly across the night sky, symbolizing the rich a...

 Every time you walk into a café and stare at the menu — “SOE Latte,” “Classic Blend Americano” — do you suddenly get hit with decision paralysis? Should you pick a bright, distinctive SOE, or stick to a familiar, no-fail blend? The truth is simple: it all depends on whether you’re craving steady comfort or fresh exploration . Let’s start with the basics. SOE stands for Single Origin Espresso , meaning the espresso comes from one specific region. After James Hoffmann won the 2007 World Barista Championship using an SOE, this terroir-driven style slowly became a trend. Today, you can find it in almost every specialty café. Blend coffee , on the other hand, is made by mixing 2–4 types of beans from different origins. It’s the traditional choice for espresso. Why Blends Are the Safe Bet The biggest strength of blends is their reliability . Before specialty coffee became mainstream, blends were usually dark-roasted to mask defects and create a smooth, full-bodied cup. Even if one...

 When you walk into a café and order an Americano or a milk-based coffee, you’ll often see two options on the menu: the default house blend espresso, or a pricier SOE. And naturally, some people wonder— why does this “SOE” cost more? What exactly makes it more expensive? SOE Coffee — What Exactly Is It? First, both SOE and blends are terms within the world of espresso. SOE (Single Origin Espresso) refers to espresso made from coffee beans that come from a single origin, as opposed to a house blend espresso that combines beans from multiple origins. Back in the days before “acidic coffee” became trendy, most cafés used blends composed of beans from two or more regions. Shops rarely emphasized where their beans came from or what ratios they used. And since darker roasts were the mainstream preference at the time, this ensured stable extraction, rich crema, and a full-bodied espresso. The Rise of SOE In the 1980s, the concept of specialty coffee took off. High-quality single-or...