When my plane touched down in Guangzhou in early November, I had no idea what time it was. My clothes were wrinkled, I was exhausted, and my side throbbed after being jabbed by my seatmate's sharp elbow for 17 hours.

I was hungry and groggy, and more than anything, I needed a cup of black coffee.

I am a caffeine junky. Without the jolt of coffee in the morning, and again in the afternoon, I flat line. And, having visited China twice before to study in Tianjin and work for the News Service at the Beijing Olympics, I knew that finding a genuine cup of black coffee in China can be tough.