Ecuador coffee to compete in international barista championship in China next month

Ecuadorian barista Diego Felipe Mejia has been invited to compete in the Third Global Barista Championship, December 2, 3 and 4, in Harbin, China. Mejia was Ecuador Barista Champion in 2014 and 2015.

Barista Diego Felipe Mejia.

Mejia will use San Lorenzo brand coffee grown at Hacienda La Papaya in Loja Province.

Ecuadorian coffee has gained international recognition in recent years, according to the judges who extended the invitation to Mejia. It was featured in the International Coffee Championships in Dublin, Ireland in July and won first-place awards at two U.S. competitions in early in 2015. La Papaya coffee was also used in those events.

Mejia says one of his missions is to promote Ecuadorian coffee around the world. “We have some of the best anywhere,” he says. “It has an excellent balance, is bright and rich, and has a smooth, clean taste,” he say. “I want to let the people of China, Europe, and North America know how good it is.”