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Current Status of Yunnan Coffee Cultivation

1. Yunnan grows mainly small-seeded coffee beans, which most of us know as Arabica. Among them, the Catimor variety has become the most widely planted in Yunnan thanks to its strong resistance to disease, high yield, considerable economic value, and relatively good quality. Typica and other varieties follow behind.

2. Yunnan coffee has advanced enormously over several decades of development, yet there is still plenty of room to grow. Most Yunnan coffee is exported to Germany, since Germany is home to the headquarters of numerous international roasting and instant-coffee brands.

3. Starbucks has also contributed significantly to Yunnan coffee cultivation. Its well-known "Yunnan Fengwu Xiangyun" bean began life as a blend and now uses Yunnan coffee beans directly.

Yunnan small-seeded coffee was first introduced by Nestlé, with the early varieties originating from Lisbon and originally named "Catimor coffee beans." Borrowing the name "small-seeded coffee," Catimor has made a qualitative leap in Yunnan's soil, growing small and plump, fragrant and enduring. As one local producer, Sister Li, puts it, some things are nurtured by heaven and earth, and Yunnan's natural environment, farming methods, and harvesting standards suit this coffee better than anywhere else.

Small-seeded coffee has been rooted in Yunnan for a century, and its aroma is known around the world.

Like this land itself, Yunnan coffee is coveted by the whole world. Nestlé, Starbucks, Maxwell House, Kraft, Tchibo, Louis Dreyfus — international coffee giants have arrived one after another, some cultivating for years, others pushing in forcefully, all determined not to stop until they reach their goals.

And yet Yunnan's coffee belongs to the people of Yunnan; it is the people's coffee. For that, they have strived for more than a century. The highest hall of science and technology — the Chinese Academy of Sciences — began studying the quality of Yunnan coffee as early as 28 years ago, establishing a "High-Quality Coffee Demonstration Base," which was the predecessor of Manxieba Coffee.

The beauty of Yunnan small-seeded coffee lies not only in its faith in the land, its legendary history, and its lingering aroma, but also in its inclusiveness and calm. Compared with the exuberance of Italian coffee and the coarseness of American coffee, Yunnan small-seeded coffee carries the unique peace of mind of the Yunnan people.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Yunnan coffee is often called "small-seeded," a nickname for Arabica: of the three original coffee species, Arabica produces the smallest fruit. Its story in Yunnan reaches back to 1904, when the French missionary Tian Deneng carried coffee seeds — Typica — from Vietnam and planted the first coffee tree in Zhugula village, Binchuan county. Yunnan's favorable geography and mild climate made the crop a success, and Yunnan's small-seeded coffee is nowadays grown mainly across the southwest of the province, in Baoshan, Dehong, Pu'er, and Lincang.

For an easy introduction to Chinese Arabica, FrontStreet's Yunnan small-seeded coffee is the everyday choice. Sourced from the Baoshan region and washed and roasted to a medium level, it highlights a gentle caramel note while keeping some acidity, so it expresses the terroir of Yunnan clearly — soft nut and chocolate sweetness with a light plum acidity, all at a friendly price. Washing, in which the mucilage is removed by fermentation and rinsing before drying, is what gives it that characteristic regional clarity. If you want a sharper, more defined Yunnan flavor, step up to FrontStreet's 2013 Yunnan sun-dried Typica, grown on the FrontStreet estate and processed naturally, the oldest and most traditional method. Typica is one of the oldest and purest Arabica varieties, and after natural processing FrontStreet's Typica is heavier in body and more pronounced in its sweet-tart balance, with dark berry and citrus notes, a hint of fermentation, caramel sweetness, chocolate and a trace of dried apricot, and a creamy, black-tea finish.

To taste Yunnan in espresso form, try FrontStreet's Black Cocoa blend, a combination of Yunnan small-seeded coffee and Brazil Cerrado that many baristas recommend. The Brazil provides mixed-nut aroma and a balanced mouthfeel, while the Yunnan small-seeded coffee contributes chocolate and citrus. Pulled as an americano it is balanced across acidity, sweetness, and bitterness with a nutty, brown-sugar sweetness; with milk it turns into a latte with the smooth, creamy character of almond. It is an easy starting point for beginners.