Asia’s largest coffee exhibition, the 17th Seoul International Café Show, was held at the COEX Convention Center in Seoul from Nov. 8 to 11. This year, more than 600 companies from 40 countries participated in the fair.
By Hahm Hee-eun
Photos = Hahm Hee-eun
Seoul | Nov. 13, 2018
Did you know that Korea is the seventh largest coffee importing country in the world? With over 500 cups of coffee drank per person annually, Korea is the so-called, “Republic of Coffee.”
The 17th Seoul International Café Show, which was held at the COEX Convention Center in Seoul from Nov. 8 to 11, was a perfect example that proved Korea’s fervent love for coffee. Not only coffee-related products such as coffee beans and espresso machines, but also desserts, baked goods, and interior items from around the world, were exhibited.
Notably this year, more than 600 companies from 40 countries attended the international coffee exhibition in Korea.
Colombian Coffee Engineer Nelson Moya proudly shows a packet of coffee beans produced in a Colombian coffee field during the 17th Seoul International Café Show in Seoul on Nov. 8.
When asked about the reason for visiting the Korean coffee exhibition, a Colombian coffee engineer, Nelson Moya, replied, “Koreans can distinguish high-quality coffee beans, and thus they become good customers. I wanted to visit Korea, because it’s a country that appreciates the value of hand-picked coffee beans with fair price.”
Sang Nguyen, who showed a packet of Vietnamese coffee that had a friendly-looking character with a Vietnamese style conical hat, said, “Vietnamese coffee is very popular among Korean tourists,” then she added, “I have seen a lot of Korean tourists buying packets of Vietnamese coffee for their families and friends. I came to Korea to arrange an easier way for them to purchase real Vietnamese coffee.”
Italian Sales Manager Piergiorgio Cannara offers a cup of coffee using an espresso machine during the 17th Seoul International Café Show in Seoul on Nov. 8.
International coffee experts were especially inspired by Korean coffee culture.
Italian Sales Manager Piergiorgio Cannara, who was introducing an espresso machine to the Korean café-owners, said, “Koreans have a world-class level of coffee education.” He further explained, “It is known that Korea has the largest number of coffee experts in Asia, who have an international coffee license, Q Grader. This shows that Koreans’ passion for coffee is clearly outstanding.”
Harvey Huang from Taiwan, who showed hand-drip and lifestyle items, said, “It’s interesting to observe how so many Koreans love drinking coffee in everyday life, unlike the neighboring country, China, where tea is much more preferred. It’s also fascinating that all-kinds of coffee drinks, including espresso, hand-drip, cold brew, are developed.”
Japan’s light-roasting champion, Suzuki Kiyokazu, said, “There are no borders in coffee. All the hard work and efforts of coffee farmers, producers, exporters, roasters and baristas are required to make a single cup of coffee. I felt this way while I worked with Korean baristas. The young Korean baristas showed strong enthusiasm in establishing unique trend and up-to-date marketing skills.”
President of the International Women’s Coffee Federation (IWCA) Kellem Emanuele (left) gives a presentation on the significance of diversity in the coffee industry at the World Leaders Forum during the Seoul International Café Show in Seoul on Nov. 8.
From the global barista competitions to a café bus tour around famous café streets in Seoul, various programs were offered to show Korea’s love for coffee.
Furthermore, the Seoul International Café Show not only focused on the economic stimulation of the coffee industry, but also on its sustainable future direction and the responsibilities that follow. In particular, eco-friendly disposable items, such as bio-degradable straws and corn starch paper cups received a lot of attention. In addition, the World Coffee Leaders Forum, which brought together international coffee scholars, opened up thoughtful discussions on the gender, fair trade and sustainability issues of the coffee industry.
On the spot, the Korea.net staff was able to observe many Korean café-owners, who actively communicated with international sellers, carefully inspecting every little detail, from coffee beans, mugs, lighting to ornaments for their cafés. So what is the Korean coffee culture? Making a masterpiece of high-quality taste, pleasurable art and unique stories all combined in a cup of coffee, is probably the way the Korean coffee industry can bring a new trend to the world.
hehahm@korea.kr
