The secret of coffee master Lai Yuquan winning the world champion of baking beans Lai Yuquan's baking life and philosophy

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Lai Yuquan, who won the WCE World Cup Coffee Competition, has studied all kinds of coffee skills and knowledge over the past 13 years, from working at the bar, starting his own business, and going to the United States to learn from, all the way beyond the peak, just to pursue the ideal taste. Recently, he wrote this mental journey into "when fate wants me to be a Wolf", sharing his baking life and philosophy.

"A dog can help you pull a sleigh, but a wolf can help you find your prey. I am a wolf." In order to pursue the coffee dream, Lai Yuquan used up all his savings and challenged the competition known as the Olympic Games in the coffee industry as a newcomer and won the championship. some people thought he was lucky, but did not see his hard work for more than a decade. "for me, prey is an ideal, once you bite me, you keep attacking my dream."

Lai Yuquan, who claimed to be "Xiao Wolf (a madman in Taiwanese)," had poor grades when he was a child and was at the bottom of his class. when he was studying at Yunlin Global University of Science and Technology, Lai Yuquan accompanied his classmates to an interview at a coffee shop in Huashan, Gukeng. Unexpectedly, he was unexpectedly favored by the boss and got a job opportunity to lay a practical foundation for coffee roasting, cooking and management services.

Lai Yuquan said frankly that at first he thought that making coffee was just handsome, but later he was fascinated by everything about coffee. "for four years in college, I had to climb two mountains, travel more than 50 kilometers back and forth, and drive nearly two hours between my home, school and coffee shop every day, but I didn't feel bitter or tired at all."

After graduating from university, Lai Yuquan stayed in Huashan for another year. Later, he worked in a chain of boutique coffee shops. Within four years, he opened exhibition stores and opened up territory in Taipei, Taichung, and Tainan. Once, Lai Yuquan accidentally drank coffee baked by American coffee master George Howell in a store, which gave him goose bumps all over. "now I think, with such magical bean baking skills, I must go to the United States to ask him for advice!"

Lai Yu-Quan immediately booked an air ticket and went to the United States to learn from the master. although this study trip used up all his savings, it also promoted his determination to open a shop on his own. Under the store at the top of a strange Kaohsiung, Lai Yu-Quan said frankly, "in the first half of the year, I have been working without pay, and it took a year for my business to pick up."

After the baptism of the World Coffee Competition, Lai Yuquan still insists on baking beans every day, but the dream she used to pursue alone now has a team. Lai Yu-Quan said, "I know that I am definitely not the best baker in Taiwan, but on the international stage, I represent Taiwan's coffee soul, so I can't give up easily!"

In the baking room, the coffee beans made the first slight popping sound, the baking was nearing the end, and the whole space was filled with the aroma of coffee. Lai Yuquan, who focuses on baked beans, pokes aside beans to check whether the aroma is in place, and also picks out unqualified beans.

Lai Yuquan, the winner of the 2014 WCE World Cup Coffee Competition, visited Lai Yuquan at the coffee shop he opened. Like a science laboratory, the walls are covered with mathematical formulas, where Lai Yuquan and his partners analyze coffee beans and test the best roasting method and time as the basis for baking beans.

Lai Yu Quan inspects Coffee beans

"roasting is like a 'translation' to coffee. Roasting reflects the best flavor of coffee." this is Lai Yuquan's interpretation of the roasting procedure, as well as the key skills of roasting coffee. it is not suitable to have the four flavors of raw, astringent, bitter and scorched.

"if you drink coffee, you can make do with it, and you can also be fastidious!" Lai Yuquan pointed out that he first learned to taste coffee before he came to study coffee. Lai Yuquan spent all his knowledge and energy on baking exquisite good coffee. He routinely baked beans every 2 days for 8 hours at a time, and he devoted himself to the industry with unimaginable persistence and discipline.

Lai Yu worked hard behind a cup of rich coffee. In 2014, he won the WCE World Cup Coffee Competition Bean Baking Project, as well as professional judgment such as SCAE European Fine Coffee Association roasting training instructor, American Fine Coffee Association certified coffee cup measurement review, and international coffee quality appraiser. In order to guard the coffee delivered to consumers, from the front taste of coffee ─ to powder and after soaking, drink the aroma of caffeine and the rhyme after entering the throat, savor the delicate acidity, mellow fat, aroma of coffee liquid and the balance of sour and sweet taste and many other conditions.

Coffee from the origin to the hands of consumers, the process is very long, from raw beans, the sense of coffee flavor, roasting, grinding to brewing, every link is closely linked.

Lai Yuquan talked about his preference for acid-rich Ethiopian coffee beans. He said that if the coffee is less sour, it is like losing the soul. He points out that Taiwanese are not used to the sour taste of coffee, but when he explained to the guests the importance of the sour taste of coffee to the taste of coffee, more and more guests accepted it, making him more willing to share it with enthusiasts.

In February 2015, Lai Yuquan entered the commercial bean market with the brand COACHEF, which was widely praised; in May this year, he will launch hanging-ear filter coffee and list it in domestic supermarket chains. Coffee professional backing, Lai Yuquan carefully baked the beautiful flavor of coffee.