Maria Barquin
Maria Barquin’s first foray into coffee was when she studied agricultural sciences with a focus on sustainability at Earth University in Costa Rica. Due to the location of the university in Costa Rica, a country where coffee is an incredibly important crop and also a driver of tourism, coffee was part of the curriculum. At Earth University, Maria didn’t specialize in coffee production but, learning about it alongside her other agricultural studies, she gained a good foundation in coffee production.
Maria didn’t originally envisage a career in coffee, at least, not until she was working on her Master’s degree at Pusan International University in South Korea. While studying International Studies, Maria was surrounded by the visibly increasing coffee consumption in Korea. “You could find several coffee shops on a single block,” Maria explained. “This inspired me to focus my thesis research on the demand of coffee in North East Asian countries.”
Maria’s thesis took a look at the changing demand for coffee in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and other North East Asian countries. Her work also involved researching the history of coffee consumption and the stages of market development in each of the countries in her study.
Upon graduating with her Master’s degree, Maria worked with MTC Group as a sales associate in the Hong Kong office. Her thesis had given her an understanding of the dynamics of the coffee market in Asia and working with MTC Group has opened new doors to expand her knowledge about all things specialty coffee including roasting and cupping.
Following MTC's merger with Sucafina in February 2019, Maria has been transferred to work with our Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) team to provide amazing service in the Middle East. She is most looking forward to getting to know the people in the specialty coffee scene and trying new coffees. She's also excited to expand her knowledge and learn about market dynamics in the region.
Maria is originally from Guatemala but now, at just 33 years old, boasts an impressive international resume ranging from Costa Rica to South Korea to Hong Kong and will now be settling in Beirut. She speaks Spanish, English and Korean. In her free time, she enjoys practicing capoeira, playing video games and hiking. She also loves exploring new foods and flavors. Trying new foods are her favorite part of travelling, another major source of enjoyment in her life. While she's hesitant to nail down a single favorite food, she especially loves spicy foods and, regarding her new life in Beirut, she can't wait to eat as much knafeh as she can.