Coffee drinking culture will keep growing in Malaysia

BE it your regular morning perk-me-up or a beverage to have as you catch up with friends, our coffee drinking culture is expected to grow.

Malaysia Specialty Coffee Association (MSCA) vice president Chiam Tow Jin says there’s been an upward trend in our coffee culture in the past few years.

Interestingly, it was accelerated during the pandemic, he adds.

“During the lockdown, many people had time for hobbies and coffee making became a good pastime.

“This is one reason why coffee brewing culture grew during the pandemic,” he says.

Our coffee consumption in Malaysia also grew by 73% from 2020 to 2021, based on data from the International Coffee Organization.

From 344,783 bags of coffee beans in 2020, we consumed 597,064 in 2021.

The Dalgona coffee trend, which went viral on social media during the lockdown, also led many at home to try making the creamy, hand beaten coffee made of coffee powder, sugar, milk and hot water.

“It’s partly due to social media that coffee brewing and drinking took off, especially among younger Malaysians,” Chiam says.

It’s also easier for the coffee culture to expand now because of the growing number of coffee roasteries and cafes, enabling more to appreciate the drink.

“Coffee is also a beverage that can be used as a social tool for people to come together,” he says.

As for local coffee, he believes such drinks served at the kopitiam or traditional warung have always been part of Malaysian culture.

“As such, people are not converting from local to Western-style coffee drinks.

"The menu has just been expanded for people to choose which coffee they’d like,” he says.

On the people’s preference for coffee varieties, Chiam says most people tend to like the Arabica species because of its diverse types of flavours.

“Arabica tends to be favoured because it can please everyone with its diverse flavour range from chocolatey to fruity,” he explains.

While it’s International Coffee Day today, the MSCA will also be organising its Malaysia Coffee Week 2023 from Oct 26 to 29 at the 1 Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya.

The event is the largest coffee festival in Malaysia, and is held annually by the MSCA.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) director-general Datuk Dr Mohamad Zabawi Abdul Ghani agrees that drinking coffee has become a lifestyle, especially for youths.

“They enjoy coffee while doing their homework or hanging out with friends.

“For adults, coffee is taken when holding a meeting in the office or in a coffee shop.

“The growth of various coffee shops with interesting concepts encourages young people to try and enjoy coffee according to current trends,” he says.

On our local coffee, Mohamad Zabawi says Malaysian-grown Liberica coffee has a unique taste profile.

“It has a flowery or fruity taste with a little smoky or woody feel.

“It is preferred by locals due to its low acidity and bitter flavour,” he says.

There are also differences in the coffee planted in different states nationwide.

“This is primarily because each state grows a different type of coffee.

“In general, there are three species of coffee that are planted in Malaysia namely Liberica (Coffea liberica), Robusta (Coffea canephora) and Arabica (Coffea arabica).

“Liberica is the top type of coffee grown in Malaysia (87%), followed by Robusta (10%) and Arabica (3%),” Mohamad Zabawi explains.

He says Arabica coffee tends to taste more mild and sweet with a nutty and chocolaty flavour.

“Meanwhile, Robusta coffee tastes less complex than Arabica with a chocolate, nutty, caramel and woody taste.

“The flavour of different coffees can also be affected by different processing methods as well as different roasting temperatures,” he adds.