Sting and His Wuliang Mountain Coffee Beans (Open)

When we found Sting, he was still basking in the sun in a small garden behind the house, asking if we wanted coffee. Of course, we were just here to enjoy some coffee.

Sting showed us his beans, with a map beside him, circled around a place called Wuliang Mountain, and said these beans were grown on Wuliang Mountain. It felt like knowing a person’s hometown, and suddenly these beans felt very familiar.

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Sting brewed us coffee, apologetically saying we might not be used to such simple utensils. 

Yes, such rustic coffee utensils. After living in the city for a long time, used to many beautiful and fancy utensils, coffee served in beautiful ware often tastes better. But here, in a courtyard where vegetables are grown, clothes are drying, shoes are being repaired, and shuttlecock is being kicked, none of that matters.

We casually chatted, and Sting said the first cup would be stronger, usually with some brown sugar and milk. The subsequent cups would be milder, with nothing added. He also mentioned that you could add brown sugar and fresh ginger, peeling the ginger first, and that winter is a good time to drink it this way. You could also use very thin lemon slices to pair with the coffee, to experience the sourness of lemon contrasting with the coffee. Oh, I realized coffee can be enjoyed this way too! We relaxed, chatting slowly, drinking freshly ground small-batch coffee, reminiscent of the beautiful weather in Yunnan.

Yes, we drank a lot of cappuccinos and lattes. But, for the first time, in a simple courtyard, using such rustic utensils, listening to a craftsman who has been making food for 20 years and growing coffee beans for 7 years talk about the collision of different ingredients, the coffee beans here seem to dance, offering more flexibility and possibilities.

Ah yes, I brought back the skills Sting taught me. In the future, the Ludye Cultural Space will also feature Wuliang Mountain coffee, lemon coffee, and brown sugar ginger coffee. There are even more possibilities, and I will continue to stay curious and try new things with Sting.

A Spoon of Light｜vol. o2 Wuliang Mountain Coffee (Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee)

Address: Dali, Yunnan... inside a luminous house

Characters｜Hippie Chef & Coffee Farmer

Reposted from WeChat Official Account:

illusion幻

August 15, 2015

When I first met Sting, I felt he was so cool. First, I was surrounded by his warm hippie aura, then I was conquered by the various delicious dishes he personally cooked.

From culinary master to coffee farmer, Sting has been based in Dali for four years. Starting from enjoying coffee, he later drove south with friends like Jiajun to find the most authentic coffee beans. Through continuous visits and tastings, he finally found the most satisfying flavor in a village north of Wuliang Mountain.

Wuliang Mountain is located in the transition zone between the Central Asian and South Asian tropical zones in western Jingdong County, Pu'er City. At an altitude of 3,306 meters, it has a small temperature difference year-round, abundant rainfall, and a complex and diverse natural environment. The unique three-dimensional climate is very suitable for growing Arabica coffee beans. Here, we cooperate with several local farmers at higher altitudes with excellent quality, using no pesticides or chemical fertilizers, only organic manure, allowing the coffee trees to grow healthily in the most natural state. The first batch of coffee cherries ripens each October, with the last harvest in March of the following year. To ensure consistent quality and flavor, from the moment the coffee cherries are picked, every step is handled manually—different from other brands that directly purchase processed beans from farmers.

Freshly harvested coffee cherries need to be sun-dried for at least 40 days. Through daily exposure to sunlight and wind, they are gently dried until the shells can be removed to harvest the coffee beans. The beans are then carefully sorted, graded, roasted, and processed before reaching our cups.

Everyone pulls together—Sting, Jiajun, and friends—creating their own brand of native Yunnan coffee beans, categorized into three roast levels: 10, 20, and 30, with a signature blend. They use packaging suitable for both stores and home use. The logo and pattern stamps are designed and carved by Xiaomi (Bald Head). Everyone personally packages the products, making everything naturally rustic yet vibrant.

Today, Wuliang Mountain coffee beans supply several shops in Dali Old Town and across Erhai Lake, and have entered some cafes in other cities. They are loved by many coffee enthusiasts. Throughout this process, there is not only the gift of nature’s sunlight, rain, wind, and thunder but also the diligent labor of farmers and the collective support of friends. This must be the sweetest bitterness in the world.

In the past two years, Stin has been waking up every morning to water the vegetable garden, tend to the crops, then start roasting coffee beans, sifting the beans, packaging them, and riding his motorcycle to go for a ride, delivering coffee beans to friends along the way.

He says that now, compared to cooking, he is increasingly falling in love with the life of a farmer because farming is so much fun. The garden is planted with various organic vegetables for salads, cherry tomatoes, fennel, sour papaya, pomegranates, and more, and has already begun supplying a few stores in the ancient city for vegetable salads. Whenever friends visit, both Stin and Jiajü will first invite them to stroll through the vegetable garden, share freshly picked fruits, observe the vibrant crops, and chat about farming, livelihood, clothing, and food in harmony with nature.

Hardworking people who rely on the sky for their livelihood will always be favored by nature.

Thanks to the 'Hermits'.

Illustration by Sī Sī

Text by Mèng Qí

Driver Sū Yáng

Excerpt from WeChat Official Account: Our Happiness on the Road, Author Lài Mǐn

February 13, 2021

Happiness on the Road 12