Characteristics of Caturra/Catuai Coffee Beans - Where Do Caturra/Catuai Coffee Beans Come From?

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Coffee Species Overview

Coffee belongs to the Rubiaceae family, genus Coffea, which consists of evergreen shrubs. There are approximately 125 species in the Coffea genus, distributed across subgenus Coffeae (25 species in Africa and 55 in Madagascar, plus Mascarene and Comoros archipelago groups) and subgenus Baracoffeae with 7 species.

Commercially Valuable Coffee Varieties

Among these, only three species have commercial value:

• Arabica (Coffea Arabica), Robusta (Coffea canephora, also known as Coffea Robusta), and Liberica (Coffea Liberica). These three varieties are known as the "three major native coffee species."

• Arabica accounts for approximately 70% of world production and is the primary demand for specialty coffee;

• Robusta accounts for 27% and is mainly used for instant and canned coffee, with caffeine content twice that of Arabica;

• Liberica, due to its susceptibility to leaf rust disease and poor flavor, is only traded domestically in countries like Suriname, Liberia, and Côte d'Ivoire, and is not popular worldwide.

Coffee varieties can be biologically divided into Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. The main varieties consumed worldwide are Arabica and Robusta, while Liberica is often overlooked due to limited production or inferior quality.

Generally, Arabica is primarily used for single-origin or specialty coffee, while Robusta is used to make instant coffee. Although Arabica can be defined as premium coffee and Robusta as secondary, this classification is not necessarily fixed - it's more appropriate to distinguish based on personal taste preferences. From a flavor preference perspective, the United States and Japan more commonly drink light coffee brewed from Arabica, while Europe prefers espresso made from a blend of Arabica and Robusta.

Caturra Variety

Caturra belongs to the Arabica species.

It is a single-gene natural mutation of Red Bourbon, characterized by dwarf plants with green tops. It can be planted at 5,000-6,000 plants per hectare without shade requirements. The beans are medium to small, and it has higher yields than Bourbon. It was first discovered in Brazil in 1937 and began commercial cultivation in Minas Gerais that same year. It performs best in Central American countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. At altitudes of 1,500-1,700 meters, it can produce the best quality and quantity.

Caturra is characterized by bright acidity and low to medium body. It has less clarity and sweetness than its parent Bourbon, with medium to upper cup quality. In terms of flavor, it carries lemon or citrus acidity. In sweetness, it doesn't match Typica and Bourbon, as Caturra's sweetness depends on the frequency and dosage of fertilization by growers. It has high production capacity, but maintaining this capacity requires continuous fertilization and pruning, resulting in short plants with many branches and a compact shape. The leaves are broader with fine serrations. Although production capacity has increased, due to the 2-year harvest cycle and higher care costs, plus extreme susceptibility to leaf rust, berry disease, and nematode infections, yields remain limited.

Caturra will have lemon acidity and mild sweetness.

Caturra is a single-gene variant of Bourbon discovered in Brazil in the 1950s. Both its production capacity and disease resistance are better than Bourbon. The plants are shorter, making harvesting convenient. Unfortunately, it encounters the same problem as Bourbon - bearing fruit one year and resting the next. The flavor is comparable to Bourbon beans or slightly inferior.

However, its adaptability is stronger, allowing for high-density planting without shade trees. It can thrive even when directly exposed to intense sunlight, thus earning it the name "Sun Coffee."

Caturra is suitable for low altitudes of 700 meters up to high altitudes of 1,700 meters, but the higher the altitude, the better the flavor, though bean production decreases accordingly. There are also yellow Caturra variants in Central and South America, but their reputation doesn't match that of Yellow Bourbon.

FrontStreet Coffee has several coffees containing the Caturra variety.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations:

V60/90°C/1:15/Time: two minutes

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473