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Baristas showcase skills at Dongsuh’s Kanu championship
Kanu Barista Championship winner Kim Ga-eun, fourth from left, poses with other finalists of the competition at Central City inside Shinsegae Department Store's Gangnam branch in Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of Dongsuh Foods
By Ko Dong-hwan
Professional baristas competed with their coffee-brewing skills over the weekend under a banner featuring Dongsuh Foods’ signature instant coffee brand, Kanu.
The annual Kanu Barista Championship, held at Shinsegae Department Store’s main branch in Seoul’s Gangnam District, featured eight experts locking horns on Saturday and Sunday.
The competition evaluated the versatility of the eight finalists in using Kanu’s ground coffee beans in creative drinks with the potential to impress consumers.
During the first round of competition on Saturday, the baristas created their own versions of a hot Americano and iced latte. The following day, they were given free rein to showcase their creativity with signature drinks of their choice.
Judges included coffee experts such as Um Bo-ram, a Korean Brazilian who won the World Barista Competition 2023 in Athens, Greece.
At Kanu, the top honor went to Kim Ga-eun for “Golden,” which mixed Kanu espresso-based Americano with green tea, allulose and mango extract.
Kim said the similarity between coffee and music inspired her creation. Judges praised the drink for its creativity, practicability and storytelling. She received 30 million won ($21,000) in prize money. Kim said she will “keep spreading good coffee culture here with her barista colleagues.”
Kang Seong-ryong, a senior marketing official at Dongsuh Foods, said the competition provided a “glimpse of the country’s top baristas and their unmatched skills and creativity.”
He added developing the country’s coffee culture is the company’s goal.
The competition’s preliminaries began in May. Now in its second edition, the competition highlighted Dongsuh Foods’ commitment to promoting Kanu and spreading the brand’s premium coffee throughout the consumer market.