For many of us in Singapore and Malaysia, a cup of traditional black coffee is a comforting pick me up we must have every morning, during coffee break, after meals, or at any time. For me, I cannot imagine my life without traditional Nanyang coffee.
So, I jumped at any opportunity to visit traditional Nanyang coffee roasters. Kim Guan Guan at Defu Lane 10 was the first traditional roaster which I visited in Singapore. Jason founded Kim Guan Guan 30 years ago in 1988 - one of Singapore's top traditional coffee roaster today, you may be drinking Kim Guan Guan coffee at your regular kopitiam hangout without knowing it 😄
Kim Guan Guan imports Robusta and Liberica coffee beans from countries like Indonesia.
Proprietary blend of beans with maize (corn), margarine and sugar are roasted in large drums. (In the old days, each coffee shop hand roast their own coffee beans with small drums over wood fire.)
Great clouds of steam and smoke, the moment when the roasted beans were dropped down a chute to a large pan to cool.
Frantic action as workers break the cakes of roasted coffee beans held together by caramelised margarine and sugar. This must be done thoroughly and quickly while the roasted beans are still hot, as otherwise they will be hard like small gravel caked together by tacky tar.
Freshly roasted traditional Nanyang coffee ready for grinding.
Kim Guan Guan coffee are grounded, sealed in laminated foil bags which Jason pioneered and delivered to customers. Call +65 6281 5055 to order and for home delivery.
The traditional way to brew Nanyang coffee is simply to let it steep inside a tall kettle in a coffee sock which also serves as a filter straining the grind from the brew.
Brewing good coffee takes experience and time so that the flavours of the coffee beans are fully extracted from the grind.
Kim Guan Guan coffee have a nice medium body if allowed to steep at least 5 minutes in a traditional tall coffee kettle and coffee sock. Its coffee aroma is subtle (unlike Arabica which can fill the room) and the taste is bitter and ashy. I can appreciate my Nanyang coffee neat or with a little sugar added (kopi O siu dai). The most popular way to drink traditional Nanyang coffee is with condensed milk (kopi) and with evaporated milk plus sugar (kopi C). Many of us in Singapore and Malaysia depend on this type of traditional Nanyang coffee for their robust caffeine kick to start our day.
Kim Guan Guan coffee beans are supplied to many kopitiams in Singapore (in laminated foil bags for extra freshness). One of the places using Kim Guan Guan coffee is Malaysia Boleh! food court in Jurong Point Shopping Centre.
Kim Guan Guan also sells their coffee grinds in sachets. I like the "2 in 1" sachets as it gives me my Nanyang coffee fix when I am away from home for extended periods. You cannot imagine my misery of missing my traditional Nanyang coffee caffeine kick.
Other traditional Nanyang coffee roasters I have visited:
Sai Kee Coffee Kopi 434 in Muar 👈 click
Chang Jiang White Coffee by Kongs in Ipoh 👈 click
Jason and wife Wendy at their coffee roasting and packing factory at Defu Lane 10.
Kim Guan Guan Coffee Trading Pte Ltd
Address: 24 Defu Lane 10, Singapore 539205
GPS: 1°21'15.4"N 103°53'35.1"E | 1.354278, 103.893071
Tel: +65 6281 5055 (Kim Guan Guan provides direct sales and home delivery)
Date visited: 16 Nov 2017
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