On the day of the competition, I woke up unusually early. I was participating with a casual mindset, so my hairstyle and outfit were quite relaxed. Originally, my mother planned to give me a ride to work, but since I woke up even earlier than her, I took my eco-friendly bag and my coffee grinder and walked to the competition venue. After signing in and receiving the competition samples, I went nearby to have breakfast.
The breakfast shop had a strong local vibe. I guessed the shop was run by an elderly couple, with steamers stacked outside filled with rice rolls, and a large pot of braised beef next to it, with folding tables set up outside. The elderly couple worked efficiently; one handled the payments while the other prepared the food without counting. Using a plate covered with a fresh-keeping bag, they scooped up the snowy white rice rolls, drizzled a generous spoonful of beef sauce on top, and sprinkled some white sesame seeds. Even before I took my first bite, the aroma was already enticing. When I received my portion and found a place to sit down, I couldn't wait to grab the disposable chopsticks from the table and picked up a piece of rice roll wrapped in beef sauce. I truly experienced the richness of the beef and the fragrant rice roll, complementing each other perfectly. Taking another bite of the beef, I found the meat to be firm yet tender. Adding a bit of chili sauce made it even better.
After finishing breakfast, I took a photo with the other contestants and the organizers, then queued up to draw lots for contestant numbers, and also to determine the group for the first round (three people per group). Interestingly, in my group, one spot was missing, and the judge, Xiao Pu, wrote his name in our group to fill the gap, which allowed me to advance to the next round.
Each round involved weighing the beans, grinding them, brewing the coffee, and distributing two portions—one for the judges and one for a fellow contestant or someone I just met. Each round lasted five minutes, so the time for contestants to brew was tight, with only about two minutes available. I used a water-to-coffee ratio of 1:15, and since the beans were lightly roasted, I typically controlled the water temperature between 90-92°C. The competition also provided hand-pour kettles that could boil water and adjust the temperature, and the water flow was quite easy to control. It’s worth mentioning that although the sample beans were lightly roasted, almost every bean had uneven roasting, with some even having three different colors. Therefore, the method I used was the best way to salvage them.
In the later rounds, during the quarter-finals, I continued to use the same brewing method and managed to maintain the sweetness. After reaching the semi-finals, I tried changing my brewing method to a three-step process, still using a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, but dividing the water into three pours. I can say that the sweetness was still preserved, and the layers of flavor were even richer. What impressed me the most was the coffee brewed by my opponent, Li Jinhao. After tasting a cup, I found the sweetness outstanding, and the honey-like flavor was truly stunning. If I were a judge, I might not have advanced. In the finals against Liang Ludan, I easily managed to win.
When I "overcame obstacles" and received the championship, the name on the certificate was not written very neatly, but at least it proved that I wrote it. At that time, I was carrying a coffee grinder and walking home, looking for a copy shop along the way. It was hard to find one, and when I finally did, I couldn't laminate the certificate. I awkwardly carried it around, worried it might get damaged, which was quite embarrassing.