Malaysia’s First White Coffee in Ipoh – The More It’s “Pulled,” the Richer the Flavor

▲ Ipoh’s “Changjiang White Coffee” is said to be the first wholesaler to develop white coffee.

Reported and photographed by Chen Ziying / Malaysia

Visiting Ipoh in Malaysia without quietly savoring a“Ipoh white coffee”is like going to Kuala Lumpur without properly admiring the Petronas Twin Towers. In Ipoh, old shops selling white coffee can be found around every corner, as if the air itself is always infused with the unique aroma of white coffee. The entire city feels like a cozy café for travelers—relaxed and delightful. A bit outside the city center lies an old shop called “Changjiang White Coffee.” According to the owner, it was the first wholesaler in Ipoh to develop white coffee. Since you’ve made it all the way to Ipoh, you simply must try the classic original white coffee.

“These two are our most senior employees.” The owner of Changjiang White Coffee points to two old, now-defunct coffee roasting machines, explaining the history of the shop. Forty years ago, before white coffee even existed, the staff roasted coffee beans over wood-fired stoves, which were later gradually replaced by gas. The two roasting machines parked in the yard were used—one for black coffee and one for white coffee. The owner also explained the difference between white and black coffee: “Black coffee uses fewer beans and more sugar, and the sugar turns dark when heated, hence the name ‘black coffee.’ White coffee, on the other hand, uses more beans and less sugar, and is roasted with vegetable oil, salt, and sugar.”


▲ Left is the coffee machine used exclusively for black coffee, right for white coffee.


▲ Simple brewing equipment on display.

Jiang Jianlong is the second-generation successor of Changjiang White Coffee. Back then, his father originally ran a snack shop but, due to the tough economic climate, decided to research the coffee he loved drinking. After spending a long time perfecting the recipe, he finally developed white coffee. Jiang Jianlong said that at the time, it wasn’t even called white coffee, and few people were accustomed to drinking it. But his father insisted on promoting it and running a wholesale business. The coffee shop was only recently transformed into a tourist café under his management, allowing visitors to leisurely enjoy an authentic cup of Ipoh white coffee.


▲ Originally a wholesaler, Changjiang White Coffee has only recently opened a shop where travelers can leisurely taste authentic white coffee.



▲ Fragrant and rich white coffee.

The rich aroma of coffee wafts through the air at Changjiang White Coffee. The shop also has a “unique skill”—staff perform what looks like an Indian-style tea-pulling technique, known as“pulling coffee”. It’s said that the more the coffee is pulled, the smoother the blend with milk becomes, and the better it tastes. The owner explains that making white coffee is actually quite simple: two scoops of powder, three cups of water, pour the water and wait three minutes, then add egg milk and cycle the pulling motion to bring out the coffee’s aroma.


▲ Changjiang White Coffee also applies the principles of Indian tea-pulling to their white coffee.

% Staff demonstrating the art of pulling coffee.



Changjiang White Coffee, which is exported overseas, is currently available in Japan and China, and will soon be introduced to Taiwan. If you have the chance to visit Ipoh, sit in this birthplace of white coffee—Ipoh—and experience the city’s unique “coffee-pulling” ritual while savoring the flavors. Feel the relaxed vibe that white coffee brings to a leisurely afternoon—it’ll be the most wonderful travel experience.


▲ Jiang Jianlong, the second-generation owner of Changjiang White Coffee.

Changjiang White Coffee
Address: Jalan Windsor, 30250 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Phone: +60 5-253 8896
(China Airlines operates daily direct flights to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; flights to Penang are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, from where you can take a local train to Ipoh.)