커피 콩부인, Coffee Beanwife

Published in SCAA Chronicle: http://www.scaa.org/chronicle/2012/10/08/koreas-exploding-interest-in-specialty-coffee/

In 2007, a serial-drama titled Coffee Prince hit Korean television screens; with 20 percent of
Korean households tuning in weekly. The main character was a girl who pretends to be a guy
in order to be hired as a barista at a café called “Coffee Prince.” While its cartoony love stories
entertained viewers, the show also offered a lot of coffee-related eye candy, such as pour-
over brewing and coffee roasting. At the end of the series the main character even comes
back to lead a new café franchise named “Coffee Princess” after winning the World Barista
Championship.

Fast-forward five years to 2012 and Coffee Princes and Princesses exist all over Korea.
The number of coffee shops increased from approximately 1,200 in 2006 to 12,400 in 2011.
About 300 separate coffee training institutes are currently registered with the Korea Coffee
Education Society. Korea will even host the World Latté Art and World Coffee in Good Spirits
Championships this November.

Coffee lovers who visit Korea will probably find three things surprising. Read the rest of this entry »