Introduction to Chinese Coffee Bean Varieties_ China Coffee Bean Growing Regions_ How Much is a Cup of Yunnan Arabica Coffee

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Cafe Style (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

Introduction to Yunnan Coffee

Yunnan small-bean coffee belongs to the Rubiaceae family and Coffea genus, mainly cultivated in Lincang, Baoshan, Pu'er, Dehong, Nujiang, and Xishuangbanna regions. Small-bean coffee is originally native to Ethiopia and the Arabian Peninsula, later introduced to China by the British. It wasn't until 1892 that a French missionary brought coffee from abroad to Yunnan, successfully planting it in Binchuan County.

In today's Binchuan County, 20 of the originally planted coffee trees from that trial are still flowering and fruiting, becoming the ancestors of Yunnan coffee.

Due to growing conditions, coffee is affected by humidity, latitude, and altitude, and is classified into large-bean, medium-bean, and small-bean varieties. Yunnan's coffee is small-bean coffee, growing on mountains at elevations between 800 and 1,800 meters, with most small-bean coffee growing in dry-hot valley regions at around 1,100 meters altitude.

Quality and Characteristics

Yunnan small-bean coffee grows in a unique environment where high altitude results in acidity and low altitude creates bitterness. Yunnan small-bean coffee boasts excellent quality with moderate acidity, rich and mellow flavor, uniform beans, high oil content, and fruity notes, making it more suitable for Chinese taste preferences compared to other coffees. In recent years, the planting area of Yunnan small-bean coffee has continuously expanded. After tasting experts from the International Coffee Organization inspected Yunnan small-bean coffee, they classified it as Category 1 Colombian wet-processed coffee, ranking it among the world's highest-quality coffees.

Growth and Production

Yunnan small-bean coffee typically begins bearing fruit after about 3 years and can flower multiple times. The flowering period is relatively short, with rainfall and temperature affecting the bloom time. The trees do not flower when temperatures are below 10°C, only beginning to flower at 13°C and above.

The lifespan of flowers is generally only 2 to 3 days. The flowers are pure white with a rich, milk-like fragrance that is aromatic but not overpowering. Blooming coffee flowers resemble white jade pearls strung together.

Harvested coffee cherries.

Coffee cherries with the skin removed, revealing the shape of the coffee beans inside.

Processing and Roasting

The transformation from coffee beans to coffee involves three processing steps: manual harvesting, roasting, and storage. Among these, roasting determines the coffee's flavor profile. Light roasting results in lighter-colored beans with stronger acidity and milder aroma, while darker roasting produce darker beans with stronger bitterness and richer aroma.

Yunnan small-bean coffee undergoes medium-dark roasting, balancing both acidity and bitterness while producing a rich aroma, making it a relatively standard roasting method.

Industry Recognition and Global Reach

Relying on the supply from Yunnan's coffee-growing regions, it occupies 98% of China's domestic coffee bean planting area, becoming China's largest coffee-producing region. Currently, Hougu Coffee has been exported to 23 countries and regions including Singapore, South Korea, Japan, the United States, and Germany.

Yunnan coffee has also been recognized by two industry giants, Nestlé and Starbucks. Nestlé has been promoting the cultivation of small-bean coffee in Yunnan since the 1980s. In 2011, Starbucks established a joint venture with Yunnan enterprises to ensure long-term supply of high-quality coffee beans.

With its excellent quality, Yunnan small-bean coffee has expanded from national to international markets. It is believed that the sales volume of Yunnan small-bean coffee will reach new heights in the future.

Domestic Coffee Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted domestic coffee beans - Yunnan Small-Bean Typica Coffee - offer comprehensive guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they provide exceptional value for money. Each pack weighs 227 grams and costs only about 69 RMB. Calculating at 15 grams of coffee beans per cup, one pack can make 15 cups of coffee, with each cup costing only about 5 RMB. Compared to the prices of tens of RMB per cup sold in coffee shops, this represents excellent value.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans. Online store services are also available. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473