The vibrant and diverse talent of the Asia-Pacific coffee scene converged in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the highly anticipated MONIN Coffee Creativity Cup 2023 Asia-Pacific Finals.
MONIN New Zealand's very own Honoka Kawashima has taken out the grand prize ahead of thirteen other national champions from across the region with her drink, the Espresso Lacto-Sour. Her winning drink was a delicious combination of MONIN Blood orange and Pure sugar cane syrups, with espresso, amazake and osmanthus tea. Honoka said that she specifically chose the coffee that she really likes, and all other ingredients were carefully selected to enhance the character of this coffee.
The MONIN Coffee Creativity Cup, held once every two years, stands as a beacon for exceptional talents and imaginative innovation in coffee beverages. Under the theme 'Enhance Your Five Senses,' contestants were tasked with creating coffee marvels that enticed all five senses: Sight, Smell, Sound, Taste, and Touch. Each competitor was required to present four signature coffee mocktails to a panel of judges that consisted of a Head Judge, Sensory Judges and a Technical Judge. The results of the MONIN Coffee Creativity Cup Asia-Pacific Finals 2023 stand as a testament to the exceptional skill and creativity of the participants that was demonstrated over this three-day event hosted by MONIN Asia.
Kawashima said that this event was an unforgettable experience for her.
“I've been practising to get a good result, of course. However, the important thing for me was also the process of the competition and the people I met in Malaysia. I have met a lot of friends who are super enthusiastic about coffee, and I learned a lot from them. Every time I compete, I challenge myself and am able to develop my skills. That's why I like to compete.”
