South Korea's coffee culture is increasingly showing international influence, not only having one of the world's largest coffee festivals but also leading the world with an astonishing number of barista certifications. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the unique aspects of South Korean coffee culture: from 350,000 certified baristas and 147 SCAE-authorized training centers, to extra-hot lattes, cappuccinos with cinnamon powder, the default Americano consumption habit, and Gangnam-style iced Americanos and Dutch Brew cold brew. Whether you are a coffee professional or enthusiast, these differences are worth knowing. At the same time, Front Street Coffee also sorts out the historical context behind these interesting phenomena for you.

South Korea's coffee culture is increasingly gaining an international perspective. On the one hand, the Seoul Cafe Show is one of the largest coffee events in the world; in 2015, it had as many as 555 exhibitors (111 of them from overseas), and the total number of visitors from around the world reached 140,730. On the other hand, if you put ordinary baristas from the United States, Australia, or even Singapore in Seoul, customers might not be satisfied. This beautiful coffee-loving country, in addition to its fascinating cafes, has six aspects that make it different.

Certification, certification, and more certification

South Korea has 350,000 certified baristas, a number that actually exceeds that of any other country in the world. It is also twice the total number of Starbucks employees worldwide—yes, the number of South Korean baristas is equivalent to the total number of people in two Starbucks companies. Surprised? Maybe South Korea is not large in area, but it has 147 ASTs (SCAE-authorized training centers), also the most in the world. This is a country that places extreme importance on coffee education. In addition, South Korea also has a professional cupping system: a total of 2,041 Q-graders (not to mention 157 R-graders), also the most in the world. So when you serve a customer a cappuccino, remember that they may themselves be a certified barista, coffee trainer, or cupper. When a South Korean praises your coffee, it means your coffee is truly special.

Lattes hotter than an Asian summer

A customer orders a Latte. You need to pour high-quality milk into a milk pitcher, use the steam wand to create perfect milk foam, and then pour it into the espresso to make a beautiful Latte. When you hand the coffee to the customer, you expect them to smile back, but on the contrary, the customer wants you to give them a smile first.

In South Korea, customers prefer super-hot lattes, so it takes longer to steam the milk.

Cappuccino is not what you think

What is the difference between a Latte and a Cappuccino? Usually a Latte has less foam than a Cappuccino, but in South Korea it is the opposite: here a Cappuccino is a Latte with cinnamon powder sprinkled on top.

Do not try to argue with a barista or a customer. Since Cappuccino entered South Korea, it has had a layer of cinnamon powder on top, and it has never changed. If you do not like cinnamon, order a Latte; if you like cinnamon, order a Cappuccino.

Americano is the default option

In some countries, if you say "a coffee" when ordering, you will usually get a drip coffee. If a South Korean customer says "a coffee," then you must remember to give them an Americano.

If you are confused, you need to understand South Korea's coffee history. There used to be a coffee called "hazelnut coffee," which was a drip coffee with hazelnut flavor. Later espresso appeared, and the coffee industry began to take off. For most South Koreans, espresso was too strong, so Frappé or Americano appeared on South Korean menus. In this way, drip coffee became a thing of the past, and Americano became the new default option.

Americano: Gangnam Style

Gangnam means wealth, elegance, and trendiness. Perhaps that is why this new-style Americano is called the drink of Gangnam ladies. This drink is an Americano with two ice cubes. Americano is generally hot, and if you are not used to South Korean customers asking for ice cubes when ordering an Americano, it will feel strange. But after customers ask a few times, you get used to it.

Dutch Brew: the new cold-extracted coffee

Like other parts of the world, cold coffee is becoming increasingly popular in South Korea. Dutch Brew has a mysterious charm because of its long extraction time. In fact, we like to treat it as a gift. While many people around the world like cold brew coffee, many South Koreans have not even heard of it. The iced drip coffee we drink is a kind of cold brew coffee obtained by extracting with ice water over several hours, and an iced drip coffee maker looks a bit like a complicated funnel.

Now you already know what makes South Korean coffee culture different. Even if you are a foreign barista, you will know how to serve customers. Or if you are a tourist who loves coffee, you can also tell the difference between a South Korean Latte and Cappuccino.

Text/becoffing

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.