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The head chef had no objections and simply had them put on protective suits before taking them to the workshop.
The workshop was filled with a strong, albeit not pleasant, aroma of coffee and fermentation.
Even through her mask, Qing Mengzhu could accurately smell the unique aroma of coffee amidst the murky odor.
Before leading them to a washing pool, the master chef said to them, "This pool contains honey-processed coffee. This pool mainly uses the 'red honey' processing method."
Qing Mengzhu nodded. "It's hard to tell what the coffee beans look like."
Master Chef: "Once it's dried, peeled, and all the debris is removed, you'll be able to tell. Would you like to take a little up to see?"
Qing Mengzhu: "Is that alright?"
Master Chef: "Of course, we observe the fermentation process of the coffee beans every day and frequently take them out to check."
As the master chef spoke, he took a scoop of coffee beans with a sampling spoon and showed it to Qing Mengzhu and the others.
Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi stood head to head, carefully examining the coffee beans in the sampling spoon.
At this moment, the translucent pectin coating the coffee beans looks a bit like the toppings in bubble tea, and it actually looks quite nice.
Qing Mengzhu smelled it again through her mask and could smell the fermentation and aroma of coffee beans.
He held up the sampling spoon and let Ming Chunxi smell it. Ming Chunxi could clearly smell it too, and her eyes were filled with laughter.
Master Chef: "How is it? Smells good, right?"
Qing Mengzhu gave a thumbs up. "I can already imagine what they'll taste like after they're dried."
Master Chef: "No need to imagine, there are dried coffee beans over there. Shall we go try some coffee later?"
Qing Mengzhu: "Drink!"
After showing them the honey-processed coffee beans, the master chef took them to see the washed and sun-dried coffee beans and introduced them to the relevant knowledge about coffee bean processing.
Both of them listened very attentively.
"Alright," the head chef called to them, "We've looked at all the coffee beans, it's time to go get a couple of cups of coffee."
Qing Mengzhu excitedly, "Where should we go for a drink?"
The head chef chuckled and joked, "The facilities here are limited, so I can only brew it for you in my office. Where else would you like to drink it? A coffee shop?"
Qing Mengzhu: "No, I just didn't realize where I wanted to go for coffee."
The master craftsman led them through the workshops to the office.
Upon entering, Qing Mengzhu immediately noticed several coffee machines and pour-over kettles in the spacious and bright office.
The tools here are more complete than those in a typical coffee shop, which clearly shows that the master chef loves coffee; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to collect so many tools.
The master chef told them to find a seat, then took out coffee beans, ground them on the spot, and prepared the coffee for extraction.
Qing Mengzhu asked, "Could we see the coffee beans?"
The head chef poured some out of the jar. "Here, these are honey-processed coffee beans, already roasted."
Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi each held a few in their hands and looked down at them.
The processed coffee beans are dark brown, round, and have a smooth surface. They also have a complex aroma.
Qing Mengzhu examined the coffee powder in front of her, but before she could glean any useful information, the head chef had already prepared it.
The head chef brought the coffee powder box over to show them. "You guys seem to be interested in coffee powder too?"
As soon as Qing Mengzhu received the freshly ground coffee, a rich floral and fruity aroma, along with a wonderfully sweet fragrance, filled his nostrils. He had never smelled such a rich and complex aroma before.
He let Ming Chunxi smell the coffee powder, and Ming Chunxi's eyes showed amazement.
The head chef said with some pride, "Smells good, doesn't it? That's how strong the aroma of top-quality coffee is. These aromas are so wonderful that even if you send it for testing, they might not be able to detect all of them."
Qing Mengzhu: "It smells so good! There was a time when I thought all the aromas in coffee were a lie, since these coffees only taste bitter."
Master Chef: "It could be related to the quality of the coffee, or it could be related to the extraction method."
Qing Mengzhu took another sniff and handed the coffee powder to the head chef. "I'm a little curious about what it will taste like after it's extracted?"
Head Chef: "You'll find out soon enough."
The master chef extracts coffee directly using a coffee machine.
As soon as the machine started, coffee liquid flowed out.
Unlike regular coffee, this extracted coffee has a rich, light brown crema, so dense and abundant that it resembles smooth whipped cream on top of the coffee.
Master Chef: "Coffee liquid and coffee powder have different flavors; you can smell them first."
Qing Mengzhu nodded, took it, smelled it, and poured out a little more for Ming Chunxi to taste.
The freshly extracted coffee is a bit bitter, but the bitterness is full of aroma, making it quite unique in both smell and taste.
The master chef brewed several different kinds of coffee powder for them to try, and extracted coffee from each for them to taste.
Finally, the three of them sat in the head chef's office drinking lattes.
Qing Mengzhu savored the rich, cloud-like aroma of the milk melting on her tongue.
Rich, fragrant, and smooth, with countless aromas colliding in the mouth with every sip.
He used to have absolutely no interest in coffee, finding it extremely bitter. Now it seems that it wasn't that coffee was bad, but rather that the coffee he had tried wasn't good enough.
After Qing Mengzhu and the others finished tasting the coffee, they specifically asked the master chef for coffee beans.
The master chef packed them in special bags, giving them a little of each type of coffee bean.
Before sealing, the master chef asked, "Are you sure you don't need me to grind the powder for you?"
Qing Mengzhu showed the order on her phone, "No need, I've already ordered a coffee machine. We'll just grind the coffee fresh for us."
The head chef nodded in agreement. "That way the coffee aroma will be stronger."
Qing Mengzhu and the others flew back from Qiongwei City. On their first day back, Qing Mengzhu called Zhao Hexi and the others, inviting them over for coffee the next day.
Everyone made a special effort to come over for coffee this morning.
The coffee shop was located in the small garden on the side of Qing Mengzhu's house.
Last year, Qing Mengzhu felt that her yard was not big enough and the high wall was a bit restrictive, so she demolished the wall, bought the adjacent plot of land, and expanded it into a small garden.
Except in winter, they usually eat and drink tea in the small garden.
On a clear day, you can see distant mountains and fields from the small garden, and the breeze is very pleasant.
Today, everyone sat in the small garden.
Qing Mengzhu's coffee-making skills are mediocre; she only prepared milk and planned to make lattes for everyone.
Zhou Yan was the first to come over. He poured out some coffee beans to play with, then looked at their equipment and said, "You know what, it actually looks pretty much like the real thing."
Qing Mengzhu: "That's right, I specifically consulted the master chef. Brother Zhou, please have a seat. I'll grind the coffee powder after everyone arrives."
Zhou Yan: "What kind of water did you use to extract the coffee today?"
Qing Mengzhu: "Well water! Our well water is quite sweet; the extraction effect should be good."
While Qing Mengzhu was chatting with Zhou Yan, Zhao Hexi pushed Chu Yanhuan over and shouted, "We're here!"
Qing Mengzhu: "I'll grind the coffee powder and make coffee right away. Come and smell it first, which kind of coffee do you want?"
Zhao Hexi and Chu Yanhuan sniffed the coffee beans one by one, and in the end, one of them chose the sun-dried coffee beans and the other chose the honey-processed coffee beans.
Qing Mengzhu made the decision. "Then let's use honey-processed coffee beans. Chunxi and I like them the most."
Zhou Yan: "Let's drink the honey-treated coffee beans first, and then we'll drink something else later."
Qing Mengzhu agreed, "That will work too."
Qing Mengzhu fed the honey-treated coffee beans into the coffee machine's bean hopper, and soon they were ground into fine powder. He then used the powder to make coffee.