Chinese coffee chain introduces new flavour experiences to Indonesian consumers

At a Chinese coffee outlet in Jakarta, a panel featuring coffee beans named ‘Komet’ draws attention. The panel introduces a medium roast coffee character offering floral and fruity aromas with a blend of gentle sweetness and acidity. For some coffee enthusiasts in Indonesia, such a flavour profile might sound unusual. For years, coffee has been more synonymous with a strong bitter taste and a heavy aroma. However, as coffee drinking culture evolves among the public, consumer preferences are beginning to shift. The proliferation of coffee outlets offering diverse flavour profiles indicates that people are interested in trying coffee with lighter, fresher, and more complex taste characteristics. Besides the still-popular milk coffee, various coffee variants with fruity, floral, and more pronounced acidity notes are gaining ground among urban consumers. This shift in preferences has also encouraged the arrival of various international coffee chains in Indonesia, including China’s Cotti Coffee. The coffee shop chain was founded in Beijing in 2022 and began expanding into international markets the following year. According to information shared via its official Instagram account on 22 June, Cotti Coffee already has 61 outlets in Indonesia. Behind every cup served, Cotti Coffee blends Arabica beans from various coffee-producing regions of the world, including Ethiopia, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, and Yunnan in China, as explained on the company’s official website. The blend is then processed into several roast profiles, including Platinum Specialty with a medium roast character featuring floral and fruity notes, and Gold Roast which highlights dark roast, caramel, and dark chocolate flavours. Additionally, one of its other innovative menus, coconut coffee, is more popular among adult consumers. ‘For coconut coffee, it’s often the ladies who order it. They are usually curious about the combination of coffee and coconut. After trying it, many say the taste is smoother and easier to enjoy,’ said Alfa, who typically offers this innovative menu item to customers asking about favourite drinks at his outlet. Aldo (24), a customer met at a Cotti Coffee outlet, admitted he has started to enjoy coffee with fruity characteristics in recent months. According to him, such coffee tastes lighter and is easier to enjoy compared to coffee that is too bitter. ‘In the past, I drank milk coffee or strong-tasting coffee more often, but now I prefer ones with fruity aromas. The taste is fresher and not too bitter on the tongue,’ he told Xinhua. He said a similar trend is also visible among his university friends. According to him, many students now choose Americano made with fruity-character beans over coffee with a more bitter flavour profile. ‘Many of my friends also order Americano using fruity beans. Maybe because the taste is lighter, so it’s easier to drink even without sugar or milk. You can drink it continuously without it feeling too bitter. The aroma is also more interesting than coffee that only has a bitter taste,’ the young man explained. A barista has also observed this change in preferences firsthand. Alfa (27), a barista at a Cotti Coffee outlet located in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, said that before working at Cotti Coffee, he had worked at other coffee outlets where consumers generally chose coffee with an original bitter taste. However, at Cotti Coffee, which offers two bean character choices, namely Gold Roast (bitter taste) and Platinum Specialty (floral and fruity nuances), he sees consumer preferences becoming more diverse. ‘Gold Roast is preferred by customers who like coffee with a stronger, bitter taste. For Platinum Specialty, the acidity character is more pronounced with more prominent fruity nuances, so many young people order this one,’ Alfa said. According to the barista’s observations, young consumers mostly order the Americano menu using fruity-character beans. ‘The taste is lighter and fresher. Many are indeed looking for that kind of taste,’ he told Xinhua. Meanwhile, Gold Roast is usually ordered by consumers who prefer a bitter taste without prominent acidity. Its enthusiasts are relatively diverse, ranging from young people to more mature customers, depending on individual preferences. The phenomenon shows how coffee drinking culture in Indonesia continues to evolve. If consumers were previously more familiar with coffee that emphasised a bitter taste with a strong body, now more are interested in exploring more diverse flavour profiles. This shift in preferences has also encouraged the emergence of new choices in the market, including through international coffee chains offering different taste characteristics. From the coffee plantations in Yunnan to a cup enjoyed in Jakarta, the journey of coffee is now not just about the origin of the beans, but also about how flavours evolve to follow consumer tastes. Through a variety of flavour profiles, blends of beans from different countries, and menu innovations, the Chinese coffee chain is enriching the choices available to consumers while becoming part of the development of coffee culture in Indonesia.