Japanese take measured approach to their coffee
Print Edition
Editor’s note:
A cup of coffee is not just a welcome pick-me-up — there’s a whole culture based around the bean that plays a huge part in many people’s lives. This Shanghai Daily column offers an introduction to coffee culture: from bean varieties to famous producing areas; from brewing to tasting to terminology; from the drink’s history to up-to-the-moment city cafe choices. So make yourself a cup, relax and read on.
With Japanese restaurants already found at what seems like almost every corner of Shanghai, Japanese-style cafes are now slowly gaining popularity in the city as well.
So why is a country traditionally better known for its green tea becoming renowned for its coffee shops?
It may be the result of the boom in hand drip coffee in Shanghai but also perhaps because the Japanese are among the world’s most innovative coffee makers.
The history of coffee in Japan can be traced back to the 1800s when it was imported on Dutch trade ships. But while the first coffee shop opened in Tokyo in 1888, the coffee industry didn’t start booming until the 1960s.
In 1965, Japan released the world’s first canned coffee, Mira Coffee, which was seen as the big breakthrough.
But the real success came four years later when UCC Ueshima Coffee released its canned beverage. Some 45 years on, it still maintains its reputation in canned coffee.
Hardware plays its part too. Look closely at the hand drip coffee makers used in many cafes in Shanghai, and you’ll find that most are actually from Japan.
Popular Japanese coffee maker manufacturers include Hario, Kalita, and Tiamo.
Although Japan used to be viewed as a country where tea was the most popular drink, it has become the third largest importer of coffee in the world — right behind the United States and Germany — in just five decades.
Japan’s coffee market is saturated and competitive.
Even though the country imports more instant coffee than single origin beans, the trend for hand drip coffee caught on quickly with more and more independent coffee shops sprouting up and more Japanese making coffee at home.
This popularity of coffee in Japan has also contributed to the boom in Japanese coffee makers.
Hario’s V60, a popular hand drip coffee maker around the world, is a cone-shaped device made of plastic, ceramic, metal or glass with one big hole at the bottom.
It also comes complete three sizes of cups for different amounts of extraction.
It’s popular with baristas as they can control the density of coffee extraction directly through pouring speed and the amount of water used.
The Matsuya method is another popular coffee making method often used in independent Japanese coffee shops in Shanghai.
It might look similar to the V60, but the process is quite different. The Matsuya method requires covering the coffee grounds with a lid for three to five minutes after first pouring.
The Japanese are also keen to improve or redevelop all kinds of drippers to find the best way to extract an ideal cup of coffee to their taste.
An example is their take on the Dutch cold brew coffee maker, which is used by many local cafes in Shanghai.
So take a look and see if your favorite coffee comes from a Japanese maker.
Handle to the left. Right?
Why is coffee often served with the cup handle to your left hand side?
Well, as coffee is often served with milk and sugar, traditionally this was so you could hold the cup with your left hand while attempting the trickier tasks of adding and stirring milk and sugar with your right hand.
In Japanese coffee shop etiquette, having the cup handle in exactly the left position is very important.
But what about left-handed folks?
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