A Unique Spicy Latte from Jingshi Coffee
In December 2023, Jingshi Coffee in Cam Chau, Jiangxi Province, China, introduced an extraordinary drink – spicy latte, which immediately became a sensation and has yet to show signs of cooling down. The café sells around 300 cups of this beverage every day.
A viral Douyin video showed café staff cutting chili into slices and adding it to iced latte cups before pouring chili powder on top. The spicy coffee, called Jiangxi Spicy Latte, is priced at around 20 Chinese yuan (68,000 Vietnamese dong).
Jingshi Coffee’s unique latte caters to the local demand for spicy food in China, attracting a large number of customers on a daily basis.
“I didn’t think it would be that spicy. On the contrary, it has a really great taste. This coffee is not as strange as people think,” said one staff member.
Most customers who have tried this drink have given positive feedback. “This new chili latte is not bad, it has a slightly spicy and sweet taste,” said a user on the Dianping consumer review app.
After its launch, mainland social media platforms buzzed with news about the new coffee flavor. However, there were also mixed opinions about this type of beverage. “I was shocked, it’s really unusual in a way that doesn’t make sense”; “I guess there may be problems after eating spicy food”; “It’s creative, but I’m afraid to try it because it might cause discomfort to my stomach,” commented some people.
The creative combination of coffee with unusual flavors has been appearing all over China in recent years. In September 2023, long lines of people waited for hours to buy a new coffee infused with Mao Tai liquor.
In the same year, a café in Zhejiang Province mixed powdered preserved eggs with latte, and many other shops quickly followed suit.
In 2021, a coffee shop in Shandong Province added vinegar to their Americano. This region is known for its vinegar-based products, and locals enjoy dipping their food in vinegar.
Many Chinese dishes and drinks have become hot trends in Vietnam over the past year. Some popular examples include hand-beaten lemon tea, roasted earthy milk tea, and grilled ice-cold sausages.
Reference: SCMP
