STiR coffee and tea magazine

52 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 1, 2018 (February / March) K By Sherri Johns orea's specialty coffee market was once influenced solely outside the republic. That time has passed. During the last decade, the Republic of Korea has trans- formed into one of the fastest growing specialty coffee markets for consump- tion―and coffee innovation. Seoul is a city with more than 10 million residents. The number of cafes has grown exponentially with more than 17,000 coffee shops, or about 17 per 10,000 people. New York City, in contrast, has only 8,600 coffee shops and 12 commercial roasting opera- tions. Seattle has 1,692 coffee shops, about 25 per 10,000 people. Why are Koreans so crazy about coffee? Perhaps it's the frigidly cold weather in the winter which requires a steamy hot cuppa to wrap your gloved hands around to stay warm. Or the sticky humid heat in the summer requiring a refreshing iced brew to quell the heat. Global force Starbucks opened their first, small Korean storefront in 1999. Their newest opening in December measures a whopping 11,800 sq. ft. (1,097 m 2 ) which is an indication of Starbucks' confidence in this expanding coffee market. Specialty coffee leader Terarosa began in 2002 as a roaster supplying beans to cafes. Terarosa then expanded into the retail side of business to the delight of cus- tomers, introducing high-quality farm identified coffees. Terarosa is now the host coffee sponsor of the 2018 Winter Olympics. Consider how many cups of brewed coffee that will require! Some attribute the growth of South Korea's coffee market to the plethora of coffee schools focused on educating consumers. Kyubum Dan, a Korean national who re- sides in Santiago, Chile and is president of Dan Coffee Roastery. A Q Grader, he offers this perspective: "Koreans love high quality coffee and they are willing to pay for it." An advanced gastronomic culture, Koreans are good at smelling and tasting, he ex- plains. "We have a personal tuition culture. This makes us willing to pay for expensive classes on special topics," he said. The multitude of coffee schools played a big part in the development of specialty coffee. As he says, Korean people strive for education which has pushed local innovation and delivery methods. Another innovator in coffee, Pil Hoon, c.e.o. of Coffee Libre, is known as the grandfather of specialty coffee. Coffee Libre built an avant garde brand with a clearly Korea Innovation for the Senses The Scentone Coffee Flavor Map explains that the aromas and flavors of coffee have a multitude of personalities says inventor Jake Ahn

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