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

Today at noon, the 2022 Guangdong Gaokao Chinese essay question was freshly released.

The original question in the exam paper is as follows:

Read the following material and write according to the requirements. (60 points)

"Ben shou, miao shou, and su shou" are three terms in Go. Ben shou refers to the standard and proper way of playing that follows the principles of the game; miao shou refers to the brilliant and unexpected moves; su shou refers to the seemingly reasonable moves that typically cause damage when viewed from the overall perspective. For beginners, one should start with ben shou. Only when the foundation of ben shou is solid can one's skill level improve. Some beginners are keen on pursuing miao shou while neglecting the more commonly used ben shou. Ben shou is the foundation, while miao shou is creation. Generally speaking, only with a deep understanding of ben shou can miao shou appear; otherwise, it's inevitable to play su shou, and the skill level is difficult to improve.

The above material holds significant enlightenment for us. Please write an article based on this material, reflecting your insights and thoughts.

Requirements: Select an appropriate angle, determine the main idea, clarify the writing style, and create your own title; avoid formulaic writing and plagiarism; do not disclose personal information; write no less than 800 words.

The Importance of Fundamentals

The reason I want to share this year's Guangdong Gaokao essay question with everyone is that the topic is truly worth pondering. As the saying goes: "One minute on stage takes ten years of practice offstage." To excel and succeed, one must master the basic skills.

All the success we can see is merely that one minute on stage, while the people demonstrating that success have endured countless hardships and tears behind the scenes, or experienced one failure after another, growing through setbacks.

The Fundamentals of Coffee Brewing

Coffee brewing also离不开ben shou (fundamentals). People are obsessed with techniques and equipment, yet few understand the essence behind them—the principles of extraction and the nature of the beans themselves. The essence of brewing coffee is when water passes through coffee particles, extracting the soluble substances within.

The higher the altitude and lighter the roast of coffee beans, the denser their texture becomes, and the slower the release of substances; the lower the altitude and darker the roast of coffee beans, the more porous their texture becomes, and the faster the release of substances; the finer the coffee powder/the higher the water temperature, the easier it is to extract flavors; the longer the extraction time, the more coffee substances are extracted, making the coffee flavor stronger; when less substance is extracted, the coffee flavor tends to exhibit sharp acidity and astringency, with an overall taste that is sour and thin; when too much substance is extracted, the coffee flavor tends to show bitter and miscellaneous tastes, with a dry and intense mouthfeel;...

There is no fixed method—each type of coffee bean has its different characteristics, thus there is no one-size-fits-all brewing technique. Finding the brewing method suitable for coffee beans based on these principles is what everyone needs to think about.

All the extraction techniques we see离不开a deep understanding of the essence of extraction and the nature of the coffee beans themselves. The brewing equipment we see is merely auxiliary to extraction. Often, some combinations of techniques and equipment are only suitable for brewing a specific type of coffee bean—not all coffee beans are suitable for the same extraction method.

With a good understanding of the most basic principles, even adding coffee powder to a large pot of water can brew delicious coffee. It is more interesting to find a brewing method more suitable for coffee beans during the brewing process than rigidly imitating others.

The Gold Cup Standard

Under the promotion of specialty coffee, everyone has heard of the Gold Cup Extraction Standard: "Coffee with an extraction rate of 18%-22% and concentration of 1.15%-1.35% is the most delicious." The establishment of this standard is to provide a reference standard for everyone, making coffee extraction more scientific, but it does not necessarily mean that coffee within these numerical values is definitely the best tasting, because everyone's sensory perception varies—whether it tastes good or not is determined by the person drinking it.

The Fundamentals of Coffee Roasting

Coffee roasting also离不开ben shou (fundamentals). Before studying roasting techniques and determining roasting approaches, one must first understand the coffee beans and the roaster itself. The impact of factors such as altitude, soil, and climate of the origin on the structure and flavor expression of coffee beans; the impact of freshness and moisture content of coffee beans on the roasting process; understanding the impact of every temperature, every time period, and every roaster on the performance of coffee beans during the roasting process...

To make a dish delicious, one must have sufficient understanding of ingredients and seasonings to techniques, in order to bring out the best at the appropriate temperature and time. To roast coffee beans to be delicious, one must be thoroughly familiar with the state of the beans themselves, in order to showcase a more perfect side of the coffee beans at the appropriate temperature and time by controlling the heat and temperature.

The Fundamentals of Running a Coffee Shop

Opening a coffee shop also离不开ben shou (fundamentals). Having capital is one thing, but one must also understand the way of operating a shop. Research before opening a coffee shop is a very important matter. Everyone should know that running a coffee shop requires personal practice—it's not just about seeing others successfully run coffee shops or seeing others brew coffee simply, and thinking that because your eyes have learned it, you can actually do it.

Therefore, before opening a coffee shop, one needs to collect extensive information and reserve knowledge to fully lay a solid foundation for opening the shop. The knowledge mentioned here is not just about learning coffee brewing skills and coffee knowledge, but also about understanding how to use capital, personnel arrangements, and specific operations when opening a coffee shop.

As mentioned in this Gaokao essay question, generally speaking, only with a deep understanding of ben shou can miao shou appear; otherwise, it's inevitable to play su shou, and the skill level is difficult to improve.

Only with a solid foundation can more possibilities be created. Without thorough understanding, when mistakes are made, one doesn't even know they are mistakes. Although it may not affect the overall situation, there will be no room for progress.

Image source: Internet

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