Retired Engineer Grows Award-Winning A-Grade Coffee in Taiwan

When you hear ‘A-grade coffee,’ you probably picture high-altitude estates in Ethiopia or Colombia. But in the mountainous forests of Nantou, Taiwan, a 70-year-old retired telecom engineer is proving that great coffee can also come from unexpected places — like a plot of overgrown woodland transformed into a working coffee farm.

The short answer? Yes. Last year, retired engineer Zeng Liangxiong took home a second-place award and the title ‘A Coffee Beyond the Ordinary’ in a central Taiwan specialty coffee competition — grown on just half an acre (0.5 ) of land, entirely by hand.

From Telecom Engineer to Mountain Coffee Farmer

Zeng Liangxiong spent his career in engineering and business. His family-owned woodland in Zhuzishan, Puli Township, Nantou, had been left wild for years. That changed when forestry officials notified him that the state-owned land either had to be reforested or cultivated — or it would be reclaimed. Zeng and his younger brother decided to clear the land and plant coffee.

“Before retiring, I’d only had filter coffee a few times,” Zeng recalls. “I remembered the aroma and the aftertaste, but I’d never seen a coffee tree, let alone knew how to grow or manage one.”

The Long Road to a Cup of Coffee

It takes four years for coffee trees to bear fruit. During those years, Zeng taught himself everything he could about coffee cultivation. When he started, there were few resources available. Even getting coffee seedlings meant joining a waiting list as other farmers rushed into the coffee boom.

“I reached out to agricultural agencies and universities, but got little help,” he says. “Finally, through persistence, I managed to get guidance from researchers at the Tea and Horticulture Research Institute and other experts.”

Every week, Zeng and his wife drove from their home in Taichung down to their remote coffee plot in Nantou to tend the young trees.

Hand-Picked, Organic, and Slow-Grown

Coffee plants thrive with partial shade. Zeng planted banana trees among the coffee to provide natural cover — a common practice in high-quality coffee regions. He committed to organic growing methods, even though the inputs cost several times more than conventional fertilizers.

“The first year we harvested, we didn’t know about selective picking,” Zeng says. “We picked too early and picked everything, even underripe beans. Other farmers joked our beans looked moldy.”

He quickly learned the importance of picking only fully ripe, red-to-orange cherries — one by one — and processing them carefully through pulping, fermentation, drying, and roasting.

“You really do taste the difference when each cherry is picked at peak ripeness,” he adds.

Competition Success and Staying True to the Craft

In 2023, Zeng entered his coffee in a prestigious Central Taiwan specialty coffee competition. Despite having no commercial ambitions, his beans earned a second-place award and the title ‘A Coffee Beyond the Ordinary.’

Some advised him to raise his price. His coffee is currently sold at NT$1000 per pound (approximately $30 USD per kilogram), which is high for Taiwan’s domestic market — but he refuses to increase it.

“I’m not trying to make money back yet,” he says. “I just want to grow good coffee and be a happy, hands-on farmer.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Zeng Liangxiong’s coffee farm located?

Zeng’s coffee farm is located in Zhuzishan, Puli Township, Nantou, Taiwan. The farm is on formerly abandoned state-owned woodland that he and his brother cultivated for coffee production.

What kind of coffee does he grow?

Zeng grows Arabica coffee on his farm. While the specific variety isn’t named in the article, it is managed as a high-quality, hand-picked crop using organic practices.

How did he learn to grow coffee?

Zeng is entirely self-taught. With no prior experience, he spent years researching coffee cultivation, seeking advice from agricultural experts, and experimenting on his own trees.

Did his coffee win any awards?

Yes. In 2023, Zeng’s coffee won second place and the title ‘A Coffee Beyond the Ordinary’ in a Central Taiwan specialty coffee competition.

How much does his coffee cost?

Zeng sells his coffee for NT$1000 per pound (around $30 USD per kilogram). Despite advice to raise the price, he keeps it the same to stay true to his craft.

Why does he grow coffee under banana trees?

Banana trees provide natural shade for the coffee plants, which require partial sunlight. This mimics the growing conditions of high-quality coffee regions and improves cup quality.

FrontStreet Coffee Beans Similar to Zeng’s Handpicked Taiwanese Arabica

While Zeng Liangxiong’s A-grade Taiwan-grown coffee isn’t yet commercially distributed, fans of smallholder-grown, hand-picked beans will enjoy FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Huakui — a bright, complex Ethiopian lot with notes of citrus, jasmine, and tropical fruit. For a more classic profile, try FrontStreet’s Yirgacheffe, offering delicate floral tones and juicy acidity. Both beans highlight the qualities of carefully picked, high-elevation Arabica — much like Zeng’s own mountain-grown crop. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.