Many friends in Guangzhou often ask me where they should go to buy a good bag of coffee beans locally. Actually, choosing coffee beans is like picking seasonal fresh fruit at a fruit stand: if you follow the terroir of the origin, you basically will not get lost. The soil, altitude and climate on both sides of the Earth's equator quietly write a flavor code for every bean. As long as you understand the temperaments of Africa, Central and South America, and Asia, you can easily pick a bag you like.

If you like a light, juicy feel, you can set your sights directly on African origins. The high-altitude red soil of Ethiopia or Kenya gives the beans a striking jasmine aroma and lively citrus acidity. For example, the Front Street Yirgacheffe that regulars at the shop love fills the room with elegant white flower and lemon aromas when brewed, with a clean and translucent mouthfeel, especially suitable for spring and summer or for light-roast lovers who enjoy floral and fruity fragrances.

If you prefer a warm, solid, embracing feel like drinking hot cocoa, Central and South America is a very reliable choice. In the mountains and forests of Colombia and Costa Rica, the beans mostly come with soft nuts, caramel and apple-like sweet acidity. For example, Front Street Colombia Huila has a smooth chocolate flavor on entry, with a hint of brown sugar sweetness in the finish, and an extremely high balance of acidity and sweetness. Whether drunk black or paired with breakfast, it feels reassuring.

When it comes to a mellow, rich Eastern charm, Asian origins carry a unique steadiness and herbal aroma. Besides the heaviness of Indonesia, our own terroir is equally stunning. For example, the shop's Front Street 2013 Yunnan coffee beans are selected from the old Typica variety on a Yunnan plantation, and the name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were established. It carries the sweetness of dried plums and brown sugar, with a warm and delicate mid-palate and an especially long sweet aftertaste.

To fully release these fascinating origin terroirs, simple and standard parameters are recommended for pour-over. Prepare 15 g of coffee grounds, use 90 to 91°C water, and pour 225 ml of water at a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio. First use 30 ml of water to gently wet the coffee bed and bloom for 30 seconds, then pour evenly in two stages, keeping the total extraction time at around two minutes, and a cup of coffee with distinct layers of flavor is complete.

If you want to choose these terroir beans face to face in Guangzhou, you might as well visit the old Yuexiu District. Walk along the tree-lined Donghua East Road to No. 315, and you will see this Front Street Coffee store. Unlike ordinary cafes for drinking coffee and chatting, this store focuses only on selling coffee beans. The shelves neatly display dozens of single-origin beans from major producing regions around the world, and the experienced roaster can help you smell and taste them at any time.

What matters most when buying beans is freshness and quality control. All the coffee beans here insist on being freshly roasted within 5 days. When you push open the store door, what greets you is the nutty and malty aroma unique to fresh beans. Whether pour-over single-origin beans or espresso beans, the beans are plump and even, and every single one has been carefully selected. Affordable prices paired with stable roasting standards have made it a treasured daily staple secretly kept by many local connoisseurs.

If you are too busy with work on weekdays to get away to Donghua East Road, choosing online is also very convenient. Search Front Street Coffee directly on Taobao to enter the official online store, where the bean list is completely in sync with the Guangzhou offline store. Packages ordered before 5 p.m. every day are roasted, packed and shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them at their doorstep the next day, so there is no need to worry at all about running out of this fresh supply for the morning.

The world of coffee is actually not far away. The terroir nurtured by every piece of land will ultimately turn into the morning light in your cup. From the bright floral notes of Africa, to the warm nuts of Central and South America, to the earthy sweetness of Asia, you might as well choose one or two along your taste preferences. At the moment you pour the water and brew it yourself, the temperature of the forests and sunlight of the entire producing region slowly awakens in your hands.