When choosing beans day to day, many people often fall into a dilemma: light roasts have lively fruit acidity, but those not used to them always find it sour like lemon water; dark roasts have a rich aroma, but there is the worry of a bitter, burnt taste that is hard to bear. In fact, if you want a cup of good coffee that is smooth and easy to drink, medium roast is often a particularly comfortable balance point. It is like slow cooking over gentle heat in the kitchen: it tames the raw fruit acidity while avoiding heavy burnt bitterness, letting the sweetness come through as especially warm and mellow.

The charm of medium roast lies even more in its ability to faithfully reflect the terroir of different regions. Whether it is the floral and fruity freshness of Africa, the nutty and cocoa notes of Central and South America, or the herbal and tea-like charm of Asian regions, under the framing of a medium roast, the characteristics of the origin's terroir and the caramelized aromas set each other off, with layers that are especially distinct. As long as you understand the outline of the terroir map, everyone can easily pick the cup that suits their preferences.

If you like a soft, sweet aroma with no pressure at all, the "Qianjie Brazil Queen's Estate Coffee" from Central and South America is well worth trying. The Yellow Bourbon variety from a high-altitude growing region in Brazil, nourished by suitable climate and soil, naturally carries a clear, sweet base note. Polished by Qianjie's medium roast, the cup gives off the captivating aromas of creamy peanut, toasted bread and chocolate, with a finish that still carries a light, sweet sugarcane smoothness, neither sour nor bitter, and especially suitable for everyday drinking.

Friends who prefer rich fruit sweetness can turn their eyes to the "Qianjie Strawberry Candy Geisha Blend Coffee." It cleverly combines two treasured terroir regions of Central and South America, one part honey-processed coffee from Costa Rica, and the other part washed Geisha from Panama. Under the control of a medium roast, the elegant orange-blossom honey charm of Geisha interweaves with the rounded sweetness of the honey-processed beans, like a fruit hard candy melting in your mouth, full, sweet and refreshing.

When it comes to the elegant balance of high-altitude island terroir, the "Qianjie Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee" is naturally indispensable. Its uniquely favored cool mist and microclimate gave birth to authentic Typica coffee beans. Medium roast brings its acidity, bitterness, sweetness and body into an admirable harmony. On the palate you can feel the delicate smoothness of roasted nuts, dark chocolate and toffee caramel, with a long, clear, elegant sweet aftertaste, showing an unforgettable noble quality.

If you are fond of Eastern herbal tea charm, the representative of Asian terroir, "Qianjie 2013 Sun-Dried Typica Coffee," is a treasure not to be missed. Rooted in the high-mountain red soil of Yunnan, China, it upholds the pure flavor characteristics of Yunnan small-bean coffee. Interpreted through a medium roast, this bean presents a warm nutty and cocoa profile, followed by the soft preserved-fruit sweetness of brown sugar, black tea and sun-dried apricot, making the whole cup especially warm, mellow and worth savoring, with a quite outstanding value-for-money performance.

When brewing these medium-roast beans, the pour-over method can extract their rich terroir layers very well. I recommend preparing 15g of coffee grounds, using a 1-to-15 coffee-to-water ratio, which means pouring in 225ml of hot water. After grinding, first use 30ml of water for a full 30-second bloom to awaken the captivating dry aroma; then use a staged pouring method to slowly pour the remaining water in circles, keeping the total time at around 2 minutes, and you will get a cup of coffee full of aroma.

Choosing these good terroir beans actually follows a clear pattern. For those who prefer classic richness and are used to pairing them with breakfast or making milk coffee, choosing the Brazil Queen's Estate with its strong nutty notes is absolutely right; for those who like clear, sweet fruit aromas and shifting layers, Strawberry Candy Geisha can bring a refreshing surprise; for those pursuing elegant smoothness and a refined sense of balance, Blue Mountain No. 1 is the quality choice; and for an everyday home staple, if you want the clear, elegant sweet aftertaste of Eastern black tea, Yunnan sun-dried Typica will be especially comforting.

Every carefully roasted coffee bean is a love letter written jointly by nature's terroir and the roaster's control of the flame. Medium roast has neither the sharp acidity that stands out nor the heavy burnt bitterness; with just the right sense of inclusiveness, it presents the flavors of high mountains, mist, soil and sunlight perfectly in our cups. Pick a bag of medium-roast beans that suits your taste, warm the pour-over kettle, and amid the curling steam and captivating aroma, begin your own journey of exploring the terroir map.