Types and Flavors of Yunnan Coffee Beans - Introduction to Regional Flavor and Taste Characteristics of Yunnan Coffee

For more premium coffee knowledge, please follow the WeChat Official Account: FrontStreet Coffee

Yunnan coffee, also known as Yunnan arabica, features evenly sized and full coffee beans with a moderate, rich mouthfeel. FrontStreet Coffee loves Yunnan coffee because it represents China's own coffee, and FrontStreet Coffee is determined to change people's perception of Yunnan coffee. Currently, the coffee varieties that can be cultivated in Yunnan include Catimor, Typica, and Bourbon. The main cultivation areas include Baoshan, Lincang, Pu'er, Wenshan, and Dehong.

The History of Yunnan Coffee

Yunnan coffee can be traced back to 1904, when a French missionary Father Tian Deneng planted the first coffee tree in Zhukula Village, Binchuan County, Dali City—this is generally recognized as the earliest record of coffee being introduced to Yunnan. For the next 100 years, coffee trees did not grow extensively in this region until multinational companies entered Yunnan in the late 1980s, when this foreign product was replanted and utilized for export worldwide.

After 1930, the renowned overseas Chinese leader Mr. Liang Jinshan brought coffee to Pupiao and Luoming for cultivation, which continued until the founding of New China.

After 1952, under the guidance of expert Ma Guojin from the Baoshan Tropical Crop Research Institute, large-scale coffee cultivation began in areas like Lujiang. The history of large-scale cultivation spans nearly 60 years to this day.

By the end of 1997, the coffee cultivation area in the entire province had reached 7,800 hectares. Currently, the province's cultivation area accounts for 70% of the national total, and production accounts for 83% of the national total. Whether measured by cultivation area or coffee bean production, Yunnan coffee has established its dominant position within China.

Yunnan's Coffee Growing Regions

Coffee is generally suitable for cultivation between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, which we call the "coffee belt." The western and southern parts of Yunnan Province happen to be located between 15°N latitude and the Tropic of Cancer. At the same time, most areas also have the high altitude required for coffee cultivation, with terrain dominated by mountains and slopes that feature significant elevation changes, fertile soil, abundant sunlight, plentiful rainfall, and large day-night temperature differences.

Dehong

Dehong's climate resources are exceptionally unique. The entire prefecture is located near the Tropic of Cancer, at a low latitude, and is influenced by the Indian Ocean southwest monsoon, belonging to a South Asian tropical monsoon climate.

The Gaoligong Mountains to the northeast block the dry, cold air flowing south from Siberia. In summer, warm, moist air currents from the Indian Ocean rise along the windward slopes of the southwest-tilted mountains, forming abundant natural precipitation. Combined with the large solar incident angle in the low-latitude plateau region and good air transparency, it is one of the country's high-quality light zones.

The annual solar radiation ranges from 137-143 calories/cm², annual rainfall between 1,400-1,700 mm, average annual temperature between 18.4-20°C, annual sunshine hours between 2,281-2,453 hours, annual accumulated temperature between 6,400-7,300°C, annual land evaporation between 1,400-1,900 mm, and drought index between 0.4-1.2. This creates Dehong's characteristics of no severe cold in winter, no extreme heat in summer, abundant rainfall, simultaneous rain and heat seasons, dry and cold seasons together, small annual temperature differences, large day-night temperature differences, short frost periods, and few frost days, providing excellent growing and overwintering conditions for coffee trees.

Baoshan

Coffee cultivation in Baoshan began in the mid-1950s. The first coffee seedling was introduced from Southeast Asia by the late patriotic overseas Chinese Mr. Liang Jinshan. In recent years, with the expansion of international trade, the arabica coffee from Lujiang Basin has become renowned. Baoshan has a low-latitude mountainous subtropical monsoon climate. Due to its location on a low-latitude plateau with complex terrain, it creates a three-dimensional climate of "four seasons in one mountain, different weather within ten li."

Its characteristics are: small annual temperature differences, large day-night temperature differences, average annual temperature of 14-17°C; abundant precipitation with distinct wet and dry seasons, unevenly distributed, annual rainfall of 700-2,100 mm.

Lincang

Unique geographical location and climate conditions have made Lincang a focus of attention for many coffee companies, which have successively established high-quality coffee seedling bases of 200 mu and 100 mu respectively in Mengding Town, Gengma Autonomous County, and Lincang Xingfu Farm, and have carried out coffee cultivation in Gengma, Zhenkang, Yun County, Cangyuan, and Yongde. Lincang City has a subtropical low-latitude plateau mountainous monsoon climate with complex terrain and diverse climate types.

Lincang is mainly influenced by the Indian Ocean warm, moist air currents and southwest monsoon. The four seasons are not distinctly differentiated, but dry and rainy seasons are clearly separated. There is abundant rainfall, long sunshine duration, with average annual sunshine exceeding 2,000 hours. The frost period is short, and some areas are frost-free year-round. The three-dimensional climate is obvious, with average annual temperature in mountainous areas ranging from 13-15°C.

Pu'er

Pu'er, known as the land of tea, has a 150-year history of coffee cultivation. In the early 1990s, Pu'er City began to develop coffee as a key industry for adjusting industrial structure and helping farmers increase their income and achieve prosperity. Due to the influence of the subtropical monsoon climate, most areas here are frost-free year-round, with no severe cold in winter and no extreme heat in summer. The average annual temperature in Pu'er City ranges from 15 to 20.3°C, with an annual frost-free period exceeding 315 days and annual rainfall between 1,100 to 2,780 mm.

Yunnan Coffee Varieties

The two classic premium coffee varieties, Typica and Bourbon, are the main cultivated varieties of Yunnan coffee beans. In 1991, the Catimor series was introduced from Kenya. This variety has stronger virus resistance and higher yields. Currently, the most widely planted variety in Yunnan is Catimor, with small amounts of Typica and Bourbon still cultivated in the Baoshan area.

The flavor of Yunnan coffee is also influenced by the coffee varieties cultivated. The baristas at FrontStreet Coffee often share that coffee variety is the primary source of a coffee's flavor profile—Geisha is a perfect example. The Geisha variety grown in Panama, with its delicate tea-like and floral aromas, brings pleasure to people. After winning the Best of Panama green coffee competition in 2004, it became famous worldwide. Coffee-growing regions everywhere began experimenting with Geisha cultivation. You can even find Geisha in Yunnan, and in 2020, small batches of Yunnan Geisha were released to the domestic market. However, FrontStreet Coffee believes that Yunnan's signature flavor comes from its many years of cultivating the most widespread Catimor variety. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee chose a Yunnan Catimor as the entry-level daily brew for the Yunnan region, featuring nutty and brown sugar flavors, high body, and overall balance.

Catimor

A high-generation variety of arabica coffee. Although classified under the Coffea arabica species, Catimor is not pure arabica bloodline—it's a hybrid between Timor (which belongs to the Coffea canephora/Robusta species) and Caturra (a Bourbon variant), so Catimor has 25% Robusta genetics.

We know that Caturra comes from a natural mutation of Bourbon, while Timor is a coffee variety with Robusta genes. The Robusta bloodline gives Catimor higher disease and pest resistance as well as higher yields, but it also means the flavor lacks refinement.

Typica

The most classic premium arabica variety. World-famous coffees like Blue Mountain and Mocha are almost all arabica varieties. Typica coffee originates from Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan and is the most widely cultivated coffee variety in the Western Hemisphere. Besides Catimor, Yunnan also cultivates Typica and Bourbon varieties. FrontStreet Coffee has also selected a Typica variety as a representative of Yunnan coffee. Compared to Catimor, Yunnan Typica coffee still primarily features nutty and brown sugar notes, but the Typica variety gives this coffee slightly more delicate acidity, lower body, and better balance.

Bourbon

This variety originates from Typica and was expanded after being planted by the French in 1708 on Bourbon Island (now Réunion Island). Bourbon also has wonderful aroma and rich flavor, with higher yield and growth vigor compared to Typica, making it suitable for cultivation in areas from 1,200 to 2,000 meters. Bourbon coffee is the second most important variety after Typica among arabica coffees.

Yunnan Coffee Processing Methods

Yunnan coffee primarily uses the washed processing method. The characteristics of washed coffee are cleanliness, stability, and higher acidity. What is the washed processing method? After harvesting, coffee cherries are machine-processed to remove the skin and pulp. The depulped coffee beans are placed in fermentation tanks for fermentation, using fermentation to break down the mucilage layer. The fermented coffee beans are repeatedly washed with clean water to remove the decomposed mucilage, and finally the coffee beans are dried in the sun.

Finally, the dried coffee beans can be stored and transported to various locations. The washed processing method is one of FrontStreet Coffee's favorite processing methods. FrontStreet Coffee chose a Yunnan Catimor as the entry-level daily brew for the Yunnan region, which uses the washed processing method. The processing steps of the washed method make it characterized by stability, high yield, and fewer defects.

Undeniably, the domestic specialty coffee market has recently seen many innovative processing methods for Yunnan coffee, but FrontStreet Coffee's view is that innovative processing methods are still in the minority and in small quantities, not yet mature or developed enough to represent Yunnan. Classic natural or washed processing methods still dominate. We also believe that Yunnan coffee's potential remains enormous.

How to Brew Yunnan Coffee with Pour-Over

We've learned about Yunnan coffee's origins, varieties, and processing methods—these factors combine to create Yunnan coffee's nutty, brown sugar, and rich aromatic profile. Is Yunnan coffee delicious? Of course, for those who enjoy balanced, nutty flavors, it's certainly delicious. Let's explore how to brew Yunnan pour-over coffee and what flavors it presents.

FrontStreet Coffee selected a bean from its own estate—Frontsteet 2013 (FrontStreet Coffee Estate) for brewing. In FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan coffee plantations, mainly Typica and small amounts of Bourbon are cultivated. Since it's not a main coffee variety, FrontStreet Coffee's Bourbon is still in experimental trial cultivation stages.

Frontsteet 2013 - Yunnan Natural Typica

Region: Lincang, Yunnan, China
Altitude: 1300m
Variety: Typica
Processing Method: Natural

Choose 15 grams of coffee grounds, with a recommended water-to-coffee ratio of 1:15. For clearer flavors, use 1:16. Use a V60 dripper with 88°C brewing water temperature to achieve softer acidity. Use medium grind (approximately 78% pass-through rate on Chinese standard #20 sieve).

Three-stage pour-over extraction: First, pour 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom. Then, using a small water flow, pour in circles until reaching 125 grams, then pause. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225 grams and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper (timing from the start of bloom). Total extraction time is 2'10".

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473