Where to find great coffee? Make your own at Taitung’s “Wooden Mortar Coffee” – hulling, sorting, and roasting beans all by yourself

▲ Taitung not only has beautiful mountains and waters but also great coffee. (Photo by reporter Huang Wanru, same below)

Reported by Huang Wanru / Taitung

Besides its beautiful mountains and waters, Taitung also offers great coffee. Visit the “Fengsheng Manor” in the Lulaks Tribe, where the aroma of coffee greets you as soon as you step into the estate,Visitors can not only enjoy authentic Taitung coffee but also experience DIY wooden mortar coffee—hulling, sorting, and roasting beans—and take home the roasted beans to enjoy.

▲ Fengsheng Manor owner Lee Hsin-yi does everything from planting, harvesting, husking, fermenting to drying by himself.

▲ Owner Lee Hsin-yi has nearly 10 years of coffee-growing experience. (Photo / fromFengsheng Manor’s official Facebook page)

Manor owner Lee Hsin-yi, who is of Paiwan ethnicity, has nearly 10 years of coffee-growing experience,doing everything from planting, harvesting, husking, fermenting to drying by himself. After harvesting fresh coffee cherries, they are placed in a farmhouse shed to naturally ferment with wild yeast. Then, a wooden mortar and pestle are used to hull the coffee beans, just like pounding millet.The name “Wooden Mortar Coffee” comes from this process..

▲ Visitors can experience DIY wooden mortar coffee here, hulling, sorting, and roasting beans by hand.

▲ Manor owner Lee Hsin-yi uses a wooden mortar and pestle to hull the coffee beans.

▲ The hulling process is like pounding millet. That’s also how this place’s coffee got its name.

▲ The dehulled coffee beans must be manually sorted to remove defective ones.

▲ The sorted beans are then put into a roaster.

After hulling, the coffee beans must be manually inspected to remove cracked or low-quality beans that could affect the taste. The selected beans are then placed in a roaster, where heat control and timing are crucial, andthe roasted beans should rest for a week before brewing for the best flavor.

▲ Taitung coffee is an “island-type oceanic coffee” with a unique aroma, slightly acidic yet sweet.

Taitung has a long history of growing coffee trees since the Japanese colonial era. Due to its unique geography, coffee plants in Taimali receive less sunlight, while the Pacific sea breeze brings moisture, creating large day-night temperature variations along with high-quality local water sources,producing the classic “island-type oceanic coffee.” It has a unique aroma, is slightly acidic yet sweet, smooth yet not bitter.

Additionally, this year, Taitung County Government has partnered with Taimali Golden Flower Season, coffee DIY experiences, and aviation and tourism operators to launch a themed travel itinerary called “So Beautiful It’s Unreal, Coffee You Can’t Miss.” Interested visitors can check details on theofficial website.

Fengsheng Manor
Address: No. 18, Lane 2, Liwu Village, Jinfeng Township, Taitung County
Phone: 0932467004, 0912512488
Other: Fees and timing for coffee DIY can be inquired by phone
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