The 2022 Guangdong Gaokao Essay Question: Worthwhile Reflection for Coffee Professionals!

At noon today, the essay question for the 2022 Guangdong Gaokao (college entrance exam) was released, and one topic in particular deserves the attention of anyone who works with coffee.

The original question reads as follows:

Read the material below and write an essay according to the requirements. (60 points)

"Ben shou, miao shou, and su shou" are three terms from the game of Go. Ben shou refers to the standard, principled move—the orthodox play. Miao shou refers to the brilliant, unexpected move. Su shou refers to the move that looks reasonable but, judged from the overall position, usually causes damage. For beginners, the starting point should be ben shou. Only when the foundation of ben shou is solid can one's skill genuinely improve. Some beginners chase miao shou while neglecting the far more commonly used ben shou. Ben shou is the foundation; miao shou is creation. As a rule, only a deep command of ben shou makes miao shou possible—otherwise su shou is inevitable, and improvement stalls.

The material carries meaningful lessons for all of us. Write an essay based on it, expressing your own insights and reflections.

Requirements: choose an appropriate angle, settle on your central idea, define your genre, and invent your own title; avoid formulaic writing and plagiarism; do not reveal personal information; write no fewer than 800 words.

The Importance of Fundamentals

Why share this year's Gaokao essay question with coffee people? Because the theme is genuinely worth pondering. As the saying goes, one minute on stage takes ten years of practice offstage. To excel at anything, you must first master the basics.

Every success we witness is only that one minute on stage. Behind it lie countless hardships and tears, or failure after failure, with growth coming through setbacks.

The Fundamentals of Brewing

Brewing coffee, too, rests on ben shou—fundamentals. People obsess over techniques and equipment, yet few grasp what lies beneath them: the principles of extraction and the nature of the beans themselves. Brewing, at its core, is water passing through ground coffee and dissolving the soluble compounds within.

The higher the altitude and lighter the roast, the denser the bean's structure and the slower its compounds release; the lower the altitude and darker the roast, the more porous the structure and the faster the release. The finer the grind or the hotter the water, the easier extraction becomes. The longer the extraction runs, the more compounds dissolve and the stronger the cup. Under-extract, and the coffee turns sharp and astringent—sour and thin. Over-extract, and it turns bitter and muddled, with a dry, harsh mouthfeel.

There is no single fixed method. Every coffee bean has its own character, so no one technique suits all of them. The real work is using these principles to find the brew method that fits each particular bean.

Every extraction technique we admire rests on a deep understanding of extraction and of the beans themselves; the equipment is merely an aid. Often, a given pairing of technique and gear only suits one type of bean—no single extraction method works for everything.

With a solid grasp of the basics, you can make delicious coffee even by simply adding grounds to a pot of water. Discovering, through the act of brewing, the method that best suits a given bean is far more interesting than rigidly copying someone else.

The Gold Cup Standard

Under the influence of specialty coffee, most people have heard of the Gold Cup standard: "coffee with an extraction yield of 18%–22% and a strength of 1.15%–1.35% tastes best." The standard exists to give everyone a common reference point and to make extraction more scientific. But falling inside those numbers does not automatically mean a better cup, because sensory perception differs from person to person—deliciousness is decided by whoever is drinking.

The Fundamentals of Roasting

Roasting rests on fundamentals too. Before studying roasting techniques or settling on a roast profile, you must first understand the beans and the roaster itself: how altitude, soil, and climate at the origin shape bean structure and flavor expression; how freshness and moisture content affect the roast; and how every temperature, every phase of the roast, and every machine influences how the beans behave.

To cook a dish well, you need a thorough command of the ingredients and seasonings before technique, so that everything comes together at the right temperature and time. To roast coffee well, you must know the state of the beans intimately, so that heat control reveals their best side at just the right moment.

The Fundamentals of Running a Coffee Shop

Opening a coffee shop rests on fundamentals as well. Capital is one thing; understanding how to run the business is another. Research before opening is essential. Everyone should recognize that running a shop demands hands-on practice—watching others succeed or seeing someone brew with ease does not mean your eyes have learned what your hands can do.

So before opening, gather extensive information and build up your knowledge to lay a truly solid foundation. That knowledge is not just brewing skills and coffee theory—it also means knowing how to use capital, arrange staff, and manage day-to-day operations.

As the Gaokao question itself puts it: only a deep understanding of ben shou makes miao shou possible; otherwise su shou is inevitable and improvement is hard.

Only a solid foundation opens the door to more possibilities. Without genuine understanding, you may make mistakes without even recognizing them as mistakes. It may not sink the whole enterprise, but there will be no room to grow.

Image source: Internet

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this reflection on fundamentals inspires you to go back to basics, start with a bean that teaches through the cup itself. FrontStreet Coffee's Washed Yirgacheffe is the classic first single-origin for newcomers: bright citrus acidity, delicate white floral notes, and a clean, tea-like finish—a perfect example of how proper washing lets a bean's own character shine.

For those who prefer a fuller, low-acid cup, FrontStreet Coffee's Indonesia Mandheling shows what Sumatra's volcanic soil and wet-hulled processing can do: herbal and spice notes, deep caramelization after a medium-dark roast, and a rich, lingering sweetness. And for all-round versatility, the Brazil Cerrado—a Red Bourbon, pulped natural, medium roasted—delivers cream, peanut, chocolate, and toffee, working equally well as pour-over, moka pot, French press, or espresso.