Le Quang Cuong Becomes First Contestant from Vietnam to Win the World Cup Tasters Championship at World of Coffee Bangkok 2026 – CoffeeTalk

Le Quang Cuong has made history by becoming the first contestant from Vietnam to win the World Cup Tasters Championship, triumphing over 45 competitors at the 2026 global coffee tasting competition held in Thailand. This landmark achievement underscores the rapid growth of Vietnam’s specialty coffee industry.

The championship took place during the World of Coffee Bangkok event, ran from May 7 to 9, at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center, and marked a significant occasion as it was the first time the championship was hosted in Southeast Asia.

This competition, organized by the Specialty Coffee Association, is recognized as one of the toughest sensory challenges in the coffee sector, where participants must distinguish between different coffee samples under strict time constraints. Each contestant faced sets of three cups—two identical and one different—and had to identify the distinct cup based on their sensory skills, including smell and taste, all completed within a maximum of eight minutes. The final rankings were based on the number of correctly identified cups and the speed of completion.

Cuong’s performance was remarkable; he successfully identified seven out of eight cups in 3.35 minutes during the finals, outpacing illustrious competitors such as Switzerland’s Catherine Queiroz, the U.S.’s Mehmet Sogan, and Japan’s Mizuki Tagami.

Organizers praised Cuong for his extraordinary speed, precision, and mastery of sensory perception, which allowed him to dominate the competition. He attributed his success to the mental acuity required to navigate the “traps” set by organizers, emphasizing the necessity of sustained concentration to avoid mistakes, as brief lapses could hinder sensory performance.

Cuong’s victory follows his win at the inaugural Vietnam Cup Tasters Championship in Ho Chi Minh City earlier in April, symbolizing a significant milestone for Vietnam’s burgeoning specialty coffee scene, which has seen increased interest and development through specialized cafés, roasteries, and training for baristas.

Read More @ VN Express