2024 Cafe Show China: Unveiling rich aromas of African coffee to local enthusiasts

The 2024 Cafe Show China kicked off on Friday in Beijing, introducing unique coffee cultures from around the world to Chinese customers, including authentic beans from Africa. 

The event gathered government officials, coffee importers, and farm owners from renowned coffee-growing countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, and Ethiopia, ahead of the upcoming Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which will open in Beijing on Wednesday. 

Believed to be the origin of coffee, Ethiopia inaugurated the exhibition by presenting Kahawa, a traditional coffee brewing ceremony usually performed by a woman.

Munteha Jemal Seid, Plenipotentiary Minister of the Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, performed the ritual, which usually lasts 2-3 hours, at the event.

She roasted green coffee beans until brown over an open fire, ground them into crumbs, and added them to a special pottery pot with boiling water. The coffee was then served to spectators attracted by the special ceremony.

"All coffee, especially arabica coffee, comes from Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee," she told CGTN in an interview. "We are promoting these coffees to Chinese people, especially to the younger generation, who are increasingly becoming coffee enthusiasts."

The younger generation has been moving into the center stage of the Chinese coffee consumption market in recent years.

In China, the majority of coffee lovers are between the ages of 25 and 34 (36.2 percent), and 35 and 44 (30.2 percent), according to data released by Statista in 2023. However, senior coffee buyers also showed their interest in African coffee culture at the exhibition.

"We traveled from Hebei Province to Beijing to visit the show," said 65-year-old Ms. Yuan, who attended the event with her husband. "We just bought four bags of coffee beans from Uganda, and we prefer their perfect bean shape, thick crema and rich aroma."

Uganda coffee exporters Amumpaire Frandan and his brother Tumukunde Frandan brought coffee beans from their farm to Beijing this year. This is their first time joining the show, and they have high hopes for the Chinese coffee consumption market.

The coffee industry plays a pivotal role in Uganda's economic development. It is considered the livelihood of local people and is passed from generation to generation, said Tumukunde Frandan.

"Uganda's coffee ranks third best in the world and second in Africa. Currently, Uganda exports 6.7 million bags of coffee beans to China, which accounts for about 5 percent of Uganda's coffee export market share," Amumpaire Frandan told CGTN. 

"By 2025, it aims to export 20 million bags. We are looking forward to meeting new clients and new customers from China because we want to shift our market focus to China now," he said. 

Besides Ugandan exhibitors, promoters of Rwandan coffee also have an eye on the Chinese market. "Through coffee, all the Chinese learn about Rwanda and Rwanda benefits from the market in China, knowing about China. It's a win-win situation for both countries," said Zimulinda M.U. Victorien, an advocate from a Rwandan exhibitor.

Coffee was introduced to Rwanda by the Germans in the early 1900s. Currently, 97 percent of Rwandan coffee production is arabica, mainly the bourbon type, while robusta accounts for 3 percent.

According to Victorien, coffee plantations bring greenery to Rwanda, which also aids the country in fighting climate change.

In 2023, China-Africa trade reached a historical high of $282.1 billion, listing coffee as an important agricultural item, according to a report released by China's National Development and Reform Commission on Thursday. China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, the report also stated.

(Cover: The 2024 Cafe Show China is held in Beijing, China, August 30, 2024. /CGTN)