Nanjing Barista Sun Dalei’s Award-Winning Coffee Creation

Step into any busy city corner and you’ll find a café with a barista in a crisp apron pulling shots and steaming milk. But behind the stylish exterior lies a deeper question: how much real creativity goes into the coffee they serve? Not just in presentation—but in flavor, concept, and the unexpected combinations that challenge your taste buds. One Nanjing barista is pushing those limits every day.

Sun Dalei, the only barista at Nanjing Jinlun New World COSTA with both a 'silver bean' rank and the prestigious 'gold bean' award, earned his gold for his signature drink: Coffee Mud Foam Sweet Potato . His creative process blends espresso with purple sweet potato purée, cream, and purple sweet potato foam for a layered, earthy-sweet flavor profile inspired by his grandfather’s love of the tuber.

Who Is Sun Dalei?

Sun Dalei works at the COSTA Coffee location in Nanjing’s Jinlun New World. He wears a uniform marked with two 'silver beans'—indicating his barista level—and a 'gold bean' emblem, a distinction awarded only to winners of the 'Coffee Family Barista Masters Competition.' The gold bean reflects excellence, and Sun takes pride in his award-winning creation, Coffee Mud Foam Sweet Potato, a dessert-like coffee drink that merges earthy sweetness with bold espresso.

The Creative Process Behind ‘Coffee Mud Foam Sweet Potato’

Sun Dalei’s award-winning drink started with his grandfather, who ate purple sweet potato every morning. Inspired by that habit, Sun combined ice-crushed purple sweet potato purée with espresso, then layered it with cream and topped it with more purple sweet potato foam. The result is a visually striking drink with distinct purple layers and a flavor that mixes the hearty, earthy taste of sweet potato with the intensity of espresso. He describes the experience as reminiscent of 'first love'—sweet, rustic, fragrant, and slightly bitter. Beyond the flavor, the drink carries a health-conscious message and shows how local ingredients can reshape classic coffee forms.

More Experimental Coffee Combinations

Coffee, in Sun’s view, is a platform for endless experimentation. He mentions other creative drinks crafted by peers: an 'ice fire' combination of iced coffee with chili sauce that creates a spicy contrast, or a refreshing coconut and mint coffee served in an actual coconut shell. Sun himself once toyed with using sticky rice cakes as edible coffee cups—a concept limited by unwanted absorption and texture issues. For Sun, the vessel, ingredients, and method are all part of the artistic process, driven by a passion for both coffee and life.

The Reality of Latte Art—and What Really Matters

Many people judge baristas by their latte art—the heart, leaf, or flower shapes made by pouring steamed milk into espresso. Sun demonstrates that creating a basic latte art pattern requires control: milk must be stretched and textured without exceeding 160°C, with 150°C ideal for smooth microfoam. He practiced over 100 times to perfect his leaf and heart patterns. More complex 'art' like rabbits or Eiffel Towers are actually 'painted' by spooning foam onto the surface—not true latte art. But while eye-catching, Sun insists latte art isn’t what defines a skilled barista. True mastery involves balancing over 3,000 potential coffee flavors down to five key notes: acidity, aroma, bitterness, sweetness, and body. That demands acute sensory judgment, precise control of machine temperature, water pressure, and coffee-to-water ratios—all within seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sun Dalei’s award-winning coffee drink?

Sun Dalei’s award-winning drink is called 'Coffee Mud Foam Sweet Potato' . It consists of a base of purple sweet potato purée blended with ice, layered with espresso, topped with cream and purple sweet potato foam. The drink is known for its colorful layers and a flavor profile that combines the earthy taste of sweet potato with espresso.

What do the silver and gold beans on Sun Dalei’s uniform mean?

The silver beans on Sun Dalei’s apron indicate his barista rank, while the gold bean signifies that he is a winner of the 'Coffee Family Barista Masters Competition.' The gold bean is a mark of distinction awarded only to competition award winners.

How do you make basic latte art like a heart or leaf?

To create basic latte art such as hearts or leaves, milk must be properly textured through steaming at a temperature not exceeding 160°C, ideally around 150°C. The milk should be stretched and swirled to create microfoam, and the pour must be executed quickly and precisely as the cup nears filling to avoid spilling or dissolving the design.

What other creative coffee drinks has Sun Dalei mentioned?

Sun has mentioned a spicy iced coffee with chili sauce dubbed 'ice fire,' which creates a hot-and-cold sensation, and a refreshing coconut and mint coffee served in a coconut shell. He also experimented with using sticky rice cake as a coffee cup, though it was abandoned due to texture issues.

What skills are more important than latte art for a barista?

Sun argues that sensory skills are more critical than latte art. A good barista must identify and balance five key coffee flavors—acidity, aroma, bitterness, sweetness, and body—within seconds. This requires expert judgment of coffee bean appearance, milk foam quality, and precise control over machine temperature, water pressure, and grind-to-water ratios.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Creative Coffee Drinks

For baristas experimenting with unique coffee recipes like Sun Dalei, FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Humbera offers bright floral and citrus notes with a juicy body—ideal for pairing with fruit or vegetable elements. Their Yirgacheffe delivers a classic fruity profile with blueberry and lemon zest, great for layering in creative milk drinks. For a deeper, sweeter base, try the FrontStreet Brazil Queen Manor with notes of chocolate and nuts, balancing earthy flavors. All beans are freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.