Coffee lovers say that hand-making a cup of specialty coffee needs time, patience, and most importantly, knowledge and passion about coffee.PHOTOS BY GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY

The third wave movement is considered the strongest in the US but it has already started to gain momentum in China as dozens of specialty coffee joints have sprouted in recent years. However, A Jinai is not looking to capitalize on the current coffee craze to make a quick buck.

If anything, the 30-year-old is determined to show his fellow Chinese what a good cup of coffee should taste like.

"We are creating a leap, one that gustatorily, the Chinese have been ready for centuries, if not longer," said A Jinai during his recent trip to Shanghai to promote his specialty coffee beans, which he claimed have been selected and roasted by some of Seattle's most professional graders.

A Jinai noted that there is much similarity between China's tea-appreciation culture and the experience of enjoying specialty coffee, adding that he believes many Chinese people would be able to decipher and appreciate the subtle nuances in flavor of the single-origin brews he has to offer.

Pindous Coffee had received orders from 20 customers for its 399-yuan ($60) package in its first month. Each package consisted of three bags of coffee beans, each weighing 150 grams and featuring a different flavor. A Jinai considers this to be a positive start for Pindous Coffee, though he conceded that it would still be some time before his product becomes a household staple in China.

The situation is very different for Zong Xinkuang, the co-founder of Seesaw Coffee, which is considered one of the leading specialty coffee joints in Shanghai. Evidently, business has been brisk for Zong — Seesaw already has six outlets in the city following its inception about four years ago.

Established in 2012 in a quiet neighborhood in downtown Shanghai, the coffee house caused quite a stir when it significantly reduced the price of its specialty coffee to 30 yuan a cup, close to that of Starbucks' pricing in China.

But it was not until last year, following the openings of two new stores at prime locations that its prices went up. Not that the surge has done anything to dampen the demand — Zong said that they sold double the amount of coffee in 2015 as compared to the previous year.

"It's still a very location-oriented business. There is yet a steady and sufficient flow of customers who would make a detour for a cup of coffee, even a good cup," said Zong.

Unlike A Jinai, who spoke passionately about the flavors of beans produced in Ethiopian farms or those high up in the mountains in Taiwan, Zong appeared to be a reticent businessman whose expertise was in crunching numbers. The former IT engineer was once quoted saying that he wanted to turn Seesaw Coffee into "the Starbucks of specialty coffee in China".