SPECIAL roasts and artisanal coffee have Penangites hooked.
Nurzaim Zainudin, 34, is an engineer by day and runs a cafe at night.
As a teen, he said he consumed copious amounts of coffee to stay alert while studying.
“Back then, I drank basic coffee but as I got older, I realised there are many roasts and ways to drink coffee.
“Then I started ‘cafe hopping’ and realised I liked my coffee balanced, not too fruity nor too bitter.
“I know when it has been roasted with different things like fruits or nuts,” he said at the Penang Coffee Festival at Sunshine Central mall.
Nurzaim eventually stopped drinking coffee at coffeeshops.
“They are too strong for me as I do not like bitter coffee.
“While it may seem like a fad for people to go cafe hopping and try different types of coffee, for people like me, it is an adventure in discovering the types of coffee we enjoy,” he said.
Housewife Fonda Wee, 40, who was seen sampling various types of coffee, found those from the kopitiam to be too strong.
She preferred artisanal coffee as there were layers to every drink.
“I visit cafes, although I know the coffee is pricier, as they have good tasting brews.”
Wee said she considered a cappuccino a treat after a long week.
“When we drink local coffee, we do not think much about it, but when one visits a cafe for speciality coffee, it almost feels like pick-me-up or an indulgence.”
The Penang Coffee Festival organised by the Penang Specialty Coffee Society brought coffee professionals, exhibitors and vendors together for a three-day event from Aug 14 to 16.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who launched the festival, said speciality coffee should be viewed as part of Penang’s broader tourism, creative and entrepreneurial economy rather than merely another trend.
Chow said Penang had a strong coffee heritage and should leverage it to create new opportunities for businesses, talent and tourism.
“When we speak about Penang’s food culture, we naturally think of our local food, heritage and multicultural traditions.
“There is another part of our food culture that has been with us for generations – coffee.
“In Penang, the kopitiam has never been simply a place for coffee. It has been a place where people meet, converse and communities come together.”
Chow said a new generation of independent cafes, local roasters and professional baristas was building on this long-standing tradition through the speciality coffee movement.
He said the industry extended far beyond cafes, involving farmers, green coffee traders, roasters, cafe owners, equipment suppliers, educators and other professionals across the value chain.
“The growth of speciality coffee is not simply about selling coffee.
“It is about skills, entrepreneurship, employment and opportunities across a wider ecosystem,” he added.
