KOREAN-BRAZILIAN WINS BARISTA CHAMPIONSHIP

[Anchor Lead]

A second generation Korean resident in Brazil has won a barista championship in the country, the world's largest coffee producer. In the contest, he used coffee beans grown from his father's farm. However, his win didn't come easy as there were complications in selecting the champion. Here's the story.

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Second generation Korean Brazilian Eom Boram busily moves about to make the best coffee in front of a panel of judges. He is competing against other Brazilian baristas to win a championship title. Contenders presented their coffee made in 3 different ways, and the winning title went to a local Brazilian. Eom took second place. But 18 officials of the championship did not agree with the result and filed a protest with the Specialty Coffee Association in the UK. The agency held a review and reversed the outcome in 5 days, handing the top honor to Eom.

[Soundbite] UM BO-RAM(WINNER OF BRAZIL WORLD BARISTA CHAMPIONSHIPS) : "It's an honor to become the top barista in the world's largest coffee producing nation."

The coffee beans he used in the competition were high quality beans grown at his father's farm. Thanks to their unique aroma and flavor, generated from the fermentation process, Eom received the highest score in the championship's history.

[Soundbite] EOM HA-YONG(EOM BO-RAM'S FATHER) : "It's the first time that a person running a farm has taken part in the competition."

His older brother, who also competed, finished second in the drip coffee category. The Eoms, nicknamed the coffee family, is lifting up Korean pride in the Latin American nation.