Korean Coffee Taster Highlights the Quality of Hybrids Developed by CATIE

• During their visit, the Prism Coffee Works team toured the International Coffee Collection, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.

Young Jun Cho, a coffee taster from the Korean company Prism Coffee Works, visited CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) to participate in a tasting of the coffee hybrids developed by CATIE.

Cho praised the excellence of the Milenio hybrid, which won third place in the Cup of Excellence in Costa Rica in 2022, and described it as a high-quality coffee. However, the Esperanza hybrid received an even higher rating. The Centroamericano hybrid was also lauded for its excellent notes.

The F1 hybrids developed by CATIE are coffee varieties resulting from the cross of two pure lines, combining desirable characteristics from both parents. These hybrids stand out for their high productivity, resistance to diseases such as coffee rust, and, most importantly, their excellent cup quality. This innovative approach allows small producers to access varieties that can significantly improve their yield and profitability.

During their visit, the Prism Coffee Works team toured the International Coffee Collection, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year—a significant milestone for CATIE that highlights its long history in coffee variety research and development. 

The Coffee Collection is the second largest in Latin America and the fourth largest worldwide. It includes 1,975 types of coffee from around the world, including 20 types of Liberica and 77 types of Robusta.

Luis Pocasangre, Director General of CATIE, expressed satisfaction with the high regard for the coffee hybrids, not only for their resistance to rust and high productivity but also for their exceptional cup quality, as evidenced by Cho from Prism Coffee Works.

The Korean delegation included Young Jun Cho, students Sung Min Kim and Seung Hwa Han; researcher Marlen León from the Institute for Agrarian Law Research at Laval University, Canada; and coffee producer Flor Coghi Hernández, who returned to Costa Rica after gaining 10 years of experience in green coffee marketing in Korea.

Coghi has a coffee farm in Ujarrás, Paraíso de Cartago. She commented that they chose to plant the Centroamericano hybrid from CATIE.

“The variety adapts well to the farm's altitude and climate conditions. There is a good balance in production, yield, and cup quality. We already have the second harvest of the Centroamericano. We have conducted cupping tests in Asia, Europe, and the United States, with very good results,” said Coghi.

Korea has been evolving its tea consumption towards coffee. Therefore, Coghi said that it is a market with great potential, as it is always looking for innovation, new flavors, and varieties.

Pocasangre invited the Prism Coffee Works team to participate in CATIE's 75th-anniversary event in December this year. Programs are being prepared for baristas and roasters from Asia, including Korea, to share this unique experience.