Longan-Scented Coffee Beans from Taiwan’s She Tou

If you’ve ever bitten into a piece of dried longan and wondered what it might taste like in your morning cup, farmers in Taiwan’s She Tou Township may have your answer. Combining local agricultural ingenuity with specialty coffee production, they’ve cultivated a unique batch of beans that carry the unmistakable fragrance of longan. But how did this unusual pairing come about—and what does it actually taste like in the cup?

The answer lies in a small batch of around six hectares of arabica trees grown in the shade of longan orchards on the foothills of Guizishan in She Tou, Changhua. The result: a washed and sun-dried coffee bean with a distinct longan-like sweetness, minimal bitterness, and a clean, sweet finish. Experts recommend drinking it as a pure black coffee to best experience its unique profile.

How She Tou Created Its Signature Longan Coffee

She Tou Township’s Agricultural Cooperative set out to diversify its offerings beyond traditional crops. With a track record of successful products such as guava heart tea, longan noodles, and red date-infused longan tea, the cooperative identified an opportunity to venture into specialty coffee. Two years ago, just downhill from the historic and bustling Tsingshuiyan Temple, they opened a premium agricultural gift shop showcasing products from over 30 farming cooperatives across Taiwan—including their own award-winning gift boxes. This retail success laid the foundation for further innovation.

The Unusual Pairing: Longan Trees and Coffee Plants

The coffee initiative began with the establishment of a formal coffee production class, supported by the township’s agricultural cooperative. Around six hectares of arabica coffee trees were planted on the southwest slopes of Guizishan. These trees were not planted in isolation—but deliberately grown among existing longan orchards. The intercropping strategy wasn’t just for space efficiency: it became the key to the coffee’s unique sensory profile.

The coffee cherries are exposed to longan blossoms during flowering season, resulting in beans that pick up aromatic compounds from the surrounding longan trees. The trees grow in full sun, with the longan canopy offering partial shade. This natural environment contributes to a balanced cup—smooth, not overly acidic or bitter, with what growers describe as a honeyed longan note.

Processing and Roasting the Longan-Aromatic Beans

The harvested coffee cherries are processed using both washed and natural sun-dried methods. After processing, the beans are roasted over a medium-small flame—a technique chosen to highlight, not overpower, their inherent aromatics. The goal is to enhance the cup’s inherent sweetness without introducing heavy roast tones.

According to Xiao Jun’er , General Manager of She Tou Township Agricultural Cooperative, the beans are of the arabica variety. While specific processing details such as exact drying times or roast levels are not disclosed, the cooperative confirms the key sensory outcome: a longan-like scent that carries through into the brewed cup. That scent is most noticeable in the dry fragrance and final sip, accompanied by a clean, sweet aftertaste.

What Makes These Coffee Beans Different?

Most specialty coffees emphasise origin terroir through elevation, soil, and processing. What makes She Tou’s beans unusual is the intentional agroforestry approach: planting coffee in established longan orchards, allowing the trees to influence the beans’ aromatic profile during growth. The result isn’t a flavoured coffee, but a specialty bean whose environmental conditions produce a naturally occurring longan-like scent and sweet finish. It’s an example of how agricultural context can shape sensory outcomes without artificial additives.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes She Tou’s coffee beans smell like longan?

The beans are grown in the shade of longan trees in She Tou, Taiwan. During the flowering period, the coffee plants are exposed to longan blossoms, and the nearby longan orchard environment imparts a distinctive longan-like aroma to the beans. This isn’t a flavouring process but occurs naturally through environmental exposure.

Are the longan-scented beans a flavoured coffee?

No. The longan aroma comes from growing arabica coffee trees in the shade of longan orchards, not from adding longan flavouring. The beans are processed using standard washed and sun-dried methods, then roasted to enhance their intrinsic qualities. The longan note is a result of the growing environment.

What does the coffee taste like?

The coffee is described as smooth, not overly bitter or acidic, with a clean sweetness and a cup-bottom finish reminiscent of longan honey. The aroma carries a notable longan-like scent. It is recommended to brew as a straight black coffee to fully appreciate its unique characteristics.

How much coffee is being produced in She Tou?

The current arabica coffee cultivation area in She Tou is approximately six hectares. The production is small-scale and part of a larger agricultural diversification effort by the local cooperative.

Where can I buy these longan-scented coffee beans?

The beans are sold through the She Tou Township Agricultural Cooperative’s premium agricultural product showroom, located near Tsingshuiyan Temple. While not explicitly mentioned in the article, the cooperative promotes these beans alongside other locally produced specialty food items.

How are the beans processed and roasted?

The coffee cherries are processed using both washed and sun-dried methods. They are then roasted over a medium-small flame to bring out their natural sweetness and aroma. No specific roast level or detailed processing timeline is disclosed, but the aim is to enhance the inherent longan-like scent without heavy roasting.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans with Sweet, Fruity Profiles

For fans of the longan-scented coffee from She Tou, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Huakui: a bright Ethiopian offering with notes of tropical fruit and citrus that echoes the fruity complexity of longan. Another great match is their Yirgacheffe, which highlights floral and berry-like sweetness in a light-bodied cup. Both showcase the kind of vibrant, fruity sweetness that complements the honeyed traits of the She Tou beans. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.