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The difference between kindergarten and university? Taste the secret coffee of South America

Published: 2026-04-07 Author: World Gafei

Last Updated: 2026/04/07, The coffee boom in Taiwan is heating up, and small coffee shops in the streets are springing up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. New-style coffee shops attract customers with baking beans and hand-brewing techniques. Although there are many excellent works, they are expensive, and as long as they become famous a little bit, they will be very popular. Therefore, I think that if you want to enjoy drinking coffee quietly and without burden, it is best to go to a coffee shop with a history. sixty

The coffee boom in Taiwan is heating up, and small coffee shops in the streets are springing up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. New-style coffee shops attract customers with baking beans and hand-brewing techniques. Although there are many excellent works, they are expensive, and as long as they become famous a little bit, they will be very popular. Therefore, I think that if you want to enjoy drinking coffee quietly and without burden, it is best to go to a coffee shop with a history.

Taiwan's coffee culture began to sprout 60 years ago. Around 1956, two adjacent coffee shops were opened on Chengdu Road in Ximenting: Fengda Coffee and South American Coffee. It is not too much to say that these two old shops have witnessed the history of the development of Taiwan's coffee culture.

Fengda and South America are famous old coffee shops in Ximenting.

Although the two coffee shops are about the same age, their business routes are completely different. At the door of Fengda Coffee, there are a number of large glass jars that can evoke the childhood memories of Hong Kong people in their fifties and sixties. inside are the famous walnut cakes, abalone cakes, almond cakes, mung bean cakes, and even white sugar cakes (called London cakes in Taiwan), which are not popular in Taiwan. In the case of coffee, Fengda prefers fancy coffee, which is of good quality, reasonable price, and the cake is well-known. In the past, if I passed through Ximenting after noon, I would come here to enjoy afternoon tea, but since three or four years ago, there have been long queues of Hong Kong tourists from breakfast to afternoon tea. I hate waiting in line, so I go to the South American coffee on the right.

Many Taiwanese come to buy peach cakes and almond cakes from Fengda Coffee.

The biggest difference between Bengda and South America is that there is a sea of people. More than 80% of them speak Cantonese, which is no different from sitting in Hong Kong and drinking coffee. South American coffee is usually 70% to 80% full, and there is no need to wait. Almost all the customers are Taiwanese and tourists from Europe and the United States who have been drinking for decades. Except for Hong Kong tourists who occasionally cannot stand in line next door, they seldom hear Cantonese. When talking to customers in the store about why there is such a difference, they all show a subtle expression and say: that's the difference between kindergarten and university. This statement does not belittle the quality of Fengda's coffee, in fact, the two coffee beans have their own characteristics, the difference lies in the customers. In other words, people who drink coffee with dessert cake will choose Bengda, who can further taste the flavor of coffee beans, drink black coffee or even drink black coffee without sugar, and will only go to South America. So Fengda is more suitable for people who drink coffee occasionally. There is no cake in the South American shop, and the coffee comes with only two small pieces of Belgian biscuits for free. People who are not used to coffee will really feel that something is missing.

Usually I introduce friends from Hong Kong to South America for breakfast. The charge is NT $120, which is 20 yuan more than that of next door. Breakfast includes a grilled sandwich and a cup of mixed coffee. In addition to not having to wait in line, sandwiches with coffee are more suitable for people who don't drink coffee often and want to enjoy a leisurely pace in an old-fashioned coffee shop.

Grilled sandwiches with South American coffee for breakfast with golden manning.

When it comes to South American coffee, I have to recommend the treasure of the town shop here: Super South American coffee. The founder of this coffee, Wang Zhenfu, went around looking for a formula and tried to stir-fry beans with iron pots and tea dryers. It took many experiments to learn the skills and tricks. It has been made in the same way for 60 years, and almost all regular customers have ordered this coffee. On the other hand, I prefer the golden manning here, focusing on the slightly sour taste of roasted coffee beans with bitter taste and endless aftertaste.

All kinds of brewing equipment are sold in South American coffee shops.

According to the latest statistics, Taiwan drinks 2.85 billion cups of coffee a year, an average of 122cups per person a year, and top coffee is booming. Recently, I was led by a friend and was infatuated with a philosophical cat coffee opened by a doctor of music in the Inner Lake District of Taipei. The boss advocated that drinking coffee is an attitude towards life, a very interesting shop, the wonderful smell of coffee is memorable. From time to time, I explore new coffee shops and regularly visit old ones. My coffee trip in Taiwan adds a lot of fun to life.

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