杯测大赛、火烧咖啡、主题市集……咖啡文化节亮点这样“解锁”Cup testing competition, burnt coffee, themed market... highlights of the coffee culture festival are unlocked in this way

On May 16th, the 2026 China Coffee Cup Testing Competition (Shanghai Minhang Zone) kicked off at the Hongqiao Libao Center. As one of the core activities of the 2026 Hongqiao International Coffee Culture Festival, the competition attracted 108 coffee practitioners from all over the country, who will compete for 8 tickets to advance to the national finals through a two-day competition.

The 2026 China Coffee Cup Testing Competition (Shanghai Minhang Zone) will kick off on May 16th. All images in this article are provided by Minhang District

What is the cup test competition really worth? According to Zhan Yingqin, the supervisor of the Chinese Coffee League, terms such as dry aroma, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, mellow thickness, sweetness, cleanliness, consistency, and balance that appear in professional cup testing tables may be unfamiliar to ordinary consumers, but they are the "textbook" for evaluating the quality of a cup of coffee. Cup testing competitions help to transform the "deliciousness" of coffee from sensation to standard, and turn flavor into a communicative language.

As a down-to-earth event of the Hongqiao International Coffee Culture Festival, the themed market "Delicious Praise · Trendy Market" will open in the Hongqiao Business District from May 15th and continue until May 17th, with over 60 booths gathering, covering coffee, food, cultural and creative industries, and public welfare. At the market, there are more independent brands with distinct personal or regional imprints, such as "Bidun Coffee" from Baoshan, Yunnan, and the creative special tone of "Xika". Each name and flavor reflects the ingenuity of the host.

The "Delicious Praise · Trendy Market" will open on May 15th.

At the "Baoshan Plateau Specialty Agricultural Products Market", Li Jinhe, a grassroots craftsman from Baoshan and known as the "Uncle Coffee", showcased his iconic "burnt coffee" for the first time in Shanghai: he used a spray gun to directly heat a siphon pot, rapidly heated it up with high fire, and then rapidly cooled it down with a wet towel to form a strong temperature difference extraction. This seemingly "rough" method creates a unique aroma in coffee, attracting citizens to stop and enjoy it.

At the Baoshan Plateau Specialty Agricultural Products Market, "Uncle Coffee" showcased his iconic "burnt coffee".

Zhou Xingjun, Director of the Office of the Organizing Committee of Hongqiao International Coffee Culture Festival and Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Xinhong Street, introduced that the core area of Hongqiao Business District is not simply an office gathering place, and has been committed to polishing the business card of Hongqiao International Coffee Culture Festival for many years. For the past three years, the Hongqiao International Coffee Culture Festival has been based on the core concept of "coffee+everything", starting with coffee but not just coffee. "This year, we have adopted a 'market+public welfare' approach, with social entities self raising and running the theme market of the coffee culture festival, making this feast a collaborative feast

Pengpai News reporter Yu Kai

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