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Four Cats Yunnan Arabica Coffee

A type of coffee with smaller seeds, also known as aromatic coffee. Characterized by fragrance without harshness, richness without bitterness. Originally from the Red Sea region, it is now cultivated in southern China.

Morphological Characteristics

Small trees or large shrubs, 5-8 meters tall. The base is usually multi-branched, with old branches being grayish-white. Nodes are swollen, young branches are hairless. Leaves are thin and leathery, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, with long gradually tapering tips, wedge-shaped or slightly blunt bases, entire edges or shallowly wavy, hairless on both sides. Several cymes cluster in leaf axils, with white and fragrant corollas. Berries are broadly elliptical when ripe, red, 1.2-1.6 cm long, seeds 0.8-1.0 cm long. Flowering period is March-April.

Origin and Distribution

Originally from Ethiopia or the Arabian Peninsula. Cultivated in Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan.

Growing Environment of Arabica Coffee

Yunnan coffee, due to its unique geographical environment and climate conditions, has developed a distinctive flavor profile that is rich without bitterness, aromatic without harshness, with a hint of fruitiness. World-class coffee experts have evaluated it as the world's best coffee, with cultivation technology and yield that are also world-class.

Coffee contains abundant proteins, fats, sucrose, starch, caffeine, and other substances. When made into a beverage, it has a rich aroma, pleasant taste, and is nutritionally rich, making it one of the world's three major beverages along with tea and cocoa, ranking first among them. Yunnan coffee is a variant of the Arabica species, developed through long-term cultivation and domestication, generally known as Yunnan Arabica coffee, with over a hundred years of cultivation history. Why is it considered the world's best quality?

Coffee quality is determined by various factors including growing environment, climate, and cultivation management techniques. Its optimal growing environment is low latitude, high altitude, sufficient rainfall, and appropriate sunlight, making the area between 15° north latitude and the Tropic of Cancer the ideal growing zone for coffee. However, other regions in this zone such as Hawaii, USA, and Saudi Arabia either have low altitudes or are arid deserts with little rainfall, which are unfavorable for coffee growth. Only southern Yunnan in this zone possesses all the necessary conditions. According to expert measurements, Arabica coffee should be planted on mountain slopes at 800-1800 meters altitude. If the altitude is too high, the taste becomes sour; if too low, it becomes bitter. Most Yunnan coffee is planted in dry-hot valley regions at around 1100 meters altitude, resulting in moderate acidity, rich fragrance, and mellow smoothness. In terms of climate conditions, southern Yunnan has long daylight hours, beneficial for plant growth and photosynthesis. Additionally, the large temperature difference between day and night, with cooler nights, promotes the accumulation of coffee nutrients, so Yunnan Arabica coffee contains higher effective nutritional components than other foreign coffee varieties. Arabica coffee is susceptible to rust disease, which significantly affects both yield and quality after infection. Due to the distinct dry and wet seasons in Yunnan's tropical regions, the ripening of fresh cherries coincides with the dry season, when relative humidity is low, unfavorable for the formation and growth of rust spores. Due to the excellent quality of Yunnan coffee, in the 1960s, "Lujiang No. 1" entered the London market and was rated as first-grade. In recent years, world-renowned coffee companies such as Nestlé and Maxwell House have flocked to Yunnan to establish raw material bases, and Yunnan's products have gradually gained international recognition. Currently, the average yield per unit area in Yunnan province has reached 96.4 kg, with a family contract farm in Lujiang setting a world record of 400 kg. Steiss, a chief coffee expert from the United Nations Development Programme, after visiting the coffee gardens of Lujiang Farm, said: "I have visited countless coffee gardens around the world, and the management here is world-class, with the highest yield per unit area."

Four Cats Coffee Specific Brewing Steps

1. Add appropriate amount of pure water to the lower chamber of the siphon pot (you can use pre-heated pure water to reduce boiling time. In this operation, add 2.5 cups of water, approximately 280 ml - two cups are for guests/friends, with an extra half cup reserved for the brewer to taste beforehand. If the taste seems unusual, don't serve it to guests, haha);
2. With sufficient fuel in the alcohol lamp, light it and place it directly beneath the lower chamber of the siphon pot;
3. Fix the filter with filter cloth/filter paper onto the upper chamber of the siphon pot, ensuring the filter is centered (if off-center, adjust with a bamboo stir stick);
4. Pour appropriate amount of coffee grounds into the upper chamber (2.5 cups of water corresponds to about 37 grams of coffee grounds, adjust according to personal preference). Shake the upper chamber horizontally a few times to evenly distribute the coffee grounds over the filter;
5. Insert the upper chamber into the lower chamber at an angle, but don't insert it tightly (if you insert the upper chamber after the water boils, the boiling hot water might suddenly spray out, which is quite dangerous, remember this!);
6. After the water in the lower chamber is completely boiling, temporarily move the alcohol lamp away for about 10 seconds, then return it, but not directly below the lower chamber - slightly off-center. This serves two purposes: first, it allows the water temperature to drop to the optimal temperature of about 95°C; second, it reduces the flame intensity (as mentioned earlier, alcohol lamps aren't convenient for adjusting flame intensity, which is why some people alternate between two alcohol lamps or use adjustable gas stoves);
7. Straighten the upper chamber and insert it into the lower chamber (slight force is sufficient);
8. At this point, the water in the lower chamber, due to increased pressure from heating, will flow up the vertical tube into the upper chamber. When only 1/3 of the water remains in the lower chamber, pour the ground coffee into the upper chamber and use a bamboo stir stick to wet the coffee grounds from the edges toward the center;
9. After the coffee grounds are completely wet, start timing (don't stir the coffee mixture at this stage - this is called "steeping");
10. After about 45 seconds, quickly stir the coffee solution with a bamboo stir stick. When a layer of foam appears on the liquid surface, you can stop stirring. Wait a few more seconds, then remove and extinguish the alcohol lamp;
11. Wipe the lower chamber with a pre-prepared damp cloth to cool it down; wipe the bottom first, then the sides, and don't linger in one spot for too long to avoid uneven cooling and potential cracking. If skilled, you can use one hand to wipe the lower chamber with the cloth while using the other hand to stir the coffee solution with the stir stick to accelerate cooling;
12. As the lower chamber cools, internal pressure decreases, causing the coffee solution in the upper chamber to be drawn back into the lower chamber (this is also the origin of the siphon pot's name);
13. When the coffee solution in the upper chamber is completely drawn back, remove the upper chamber and pour the coffee from the lower chamber into pre-warmed coffee cups.

When the coffee solution is drawn from the upper chamber to the lower chamber, some foam forms above the liquid surface in the final stage. By observing the foam's appearance, you can determine whether the heat and extraction are appropriate: if there's a large amount of fine foam, it indicates the brewing heat was too high, and the coffee taste will be quite bitter; if there are large bubbles that disappear after a few seconds, it indicates the heat level is ideal; if there's almost no foam, it indicates insufficient heat. If you find the heat level inappropriate, you can adjust it in future brews by increasing or decreasing the "steeping" time.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online shop services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

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