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What Coffee Varieties Are Grown in Yunnan - Introduction to Main Flavor Characteristics of Yunnan Arabica Coffee Beans

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, For more professional coffee knowledge exchange and coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). Yunnan Arabica coffee, Rubiaceae, Coffea, is mainly distributed in Lincang, Baoshan, Simao, Xishuangbanna, Dehong and other prefectures. Arabica coffee is native to Ethiopia or the Arabian Peninsula. The main

Yunnan coffee, also known as Yunnan small-grain coffee, is predominantly the Catimor variety on today's market. FrontStreet Coffee offers three types of Yunnan coffee: a washed Yunnan small-grain coffee, a natural-processed Yunnan Catimor coffee, and a natural-processed FrontStreet Coffee 2013 Typica coffee. As China's own coffee, Yunnan coffee has gradually made its way into coffee shops. Meanwhile, more people are becoming knowledgeable about coffee, increasingly pursuing specialty coffee. Understanding coffee requires starting from its origin, varieties, and processing methods, which helps in selecting coffees that suit your preferences.

Yunnan is China's largest coffee-growing region and a golden zone for coffee cultivation. The western and southern parts of Yunnan Province lie between 15°N and the Tropic of Cancer, with most areas at elevations of 1,000-2,000 meters. The terrain is dominated by mountains and slopes with significant variations, fertile soil, abundant sunshine, plentiful rainfall, and significant day-night temperature differences. FrontStreet Coffee believes that these unique natural conditions create the flavor profile of Yunnan small-grain coffee: characterized by rich, mellow, balanced flavors with subtle fruity acidity.

Yunnan Coffee Varieties

Yunnan has become a haven for Arabica coffee varieties due to its exceptional geographical environment and climate conditions. Arabica coffee, with its smaller beans, is also known as small-grain coffee. Yunnan small-grain coffee is rich without bitterness, fragrant without harshness, with a unique flavor that hints at fruit. It mainly includes three varieties: Typica, Bourbon, and Catimor. The two classic, high-quality coffee varieties, Typica and Bourbon, are the main cultivated varieties in Yunnan. In 1991, the Catimor series (stronger virus resistance and higher yields) was introduced from Kenya, belonging to the Arabica variety (also known as small-grain variety). Due to the similar morphology and habits of these two varieties, they are often interplanted.

Currently, Catimor is the most widely cultivated variety in Yunnan, with small amounts of Typica and Bourbon still grown in the Baoshan region. Although all these varieties belong to the Arabica species in the broader sense, there are significant differences among them in essence.

Typica

The most classic, high-quality Arabica variety, from which many commercial improved varieties originate. It exhibits excellent flavor expression and is recognized as a specialty coffee variety, but with extremely low yields and susceptibility to rust disease, requiring more intensive human management. Typica coffee originates from Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan, and is the most widely cultivated coffee variety in the Western Hemisphere. The plants are relatively vigorous but not tolerant to intense sunlight, with higher yields in Hawaii. Typica's top leaves are copper-colored, earning it the name "red-top coffee."

Catimor

Most coffee varieties currently grown in Yunnan are Catimor. Because Typica coffee trees are susceptible to coffee leaf rust disease and have lower yields, local coffee farmers have reluctantly cut down these elegant-flavored varieties and switched to growing Catimor varieties that offer higher yields and resistance to coffee leaf rust disease.

In Han Huaizong's "Specialty Coffee Studies," regarding China's coffee-producing regions, it was mentioned that in 1998, over 90% of Yunnan's coffee varieties were Catimor.

Catimor is a new hybrid variety developed by Portugal's Coffee Leaf Rust Research Center (CIFC) in 1959, crossing Timor and Caturra. The characteristics of Catimor include high yield capacity, dwarf plants suitable for dense planting, and good disease resistance. However, because Catimor carries Robusta genes, its bitterness and grassy flavors are more pronounced than pure Arabica varieties, with slight disadvantages in terms of cleanliness, fruit notes, and richness. Robusta varieties have good leaf rust resistance and rich oils, high yields, and are easy to cultivate. After hybridization with Arabica Typica, Catimor acquired 25% Robusta genes, improving its leaf rust resistance while retaining rich oils and some of the original Typica's rich flavors. Therefore, most Yunnan estates have begun large-scale cultivation of Catimor, while the cultivation range of Typica has begun to shrink.

FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yunnan small-grain coffee is of the Catimor variety.

Bourbon

In 1981, when Professor Ma Xijin investigated ancient coffee varieties in Yunnan, he discovered that in the ancient coffee forests near Zhuguli, red-top Typica accounted for 31%, while green-top Bourbon occupied 69%. Some experts believe that when Father Tian brought coffee to Zhuguli village, it wasn't just Typica variety but also included Bourbon. Like Typica, Bourbon is also an ancient, excellent coffee variety, and currently, Yunnan's Bourbon coffee production is even less than Typica.

Geisha, Caturra, Catuai

In the past 10 years, Yunnan's coffee cultivation has continuously developed, including introducing foreign varieties for research. Geisha is naturally among them. In the 2016 Yunnan Green Bean Competition, a Yunnan Geisha made its debut but was defeated by established local favorites, ranking only in the 30s out of 120 coffee beans.

Some experts believe that Geisha, when transplanted from Panama to Yunnan, experienced significant changes in terroir and climate. Without sufficient years of acclimatization, maladjustment is inevitable. Moreover, Yunnan's coffee cultivation altitude is generally not high, around 1,100 meters, coupled with insufficient cultivation management standards, making it normal that the produced Geisha coffee flavor is less than satisfactory. By 2020, Yunnan's first batch of Geisha varieties was released to the market in limited quantities. Geisha coffee requires high altitude, shade trees, and other conditions. Panama's climate environment is very suitable for growing Geisha coffee, while Geisha coffee grown elsewhere doesn't have the same flavor profile as Panama Geisha.

Yunnan Coffee Regions

The southern and western parts of Yunnan—including Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Wenshan, Baoshan, Dehong, and Lincang—are all distribution areas for Yunnan small-grain coffee cultivation.

Baoshan

Located in a low-latitude plateau, Yunnan's Baoshan is known for the saying "one mountain has four seasons, ten li have different weather," making its climate extremely suitable for coffee bean cultivation. Yunnan Province's coffee production reaches 136,000 tons, accounting for over 95% of the country's coffee production, with the highest export volume at 60,700 tons. Baoshan region has a long history of coffee cultivation and is recognized as the "best small-grain coffee producing area," making it one of the better-quality coffee origins in China and even globally. Most of these are also Catimor varieties.

FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yunnan small-grain coffee comes from Baoshan.

Pu'er

The Pu'er region exclusively grows Catimor varieties. Baoshan City introduced Typica and Bourbon varieties as early as the 1950s, which locals call "old varieties." Because these old varieties have lower disease resistance and yields, require more labor-intensive management, and offer no significant price advantage in market acquisitions, coffee farmers have switched to the new Catimor variety in recent years. From a botanical perspective, Yunnan small-grain coffee has genetic similarities to the recognized excellent Jamaica Blue Mountain and Hawaii Kona coffees.

Lincang

Located in southwestern Yunnan Province, with the Tropic of Cancer crossing its southern part, Lincang borders Pu'er to the east, connects with Dali to the north, meets Baoshan to the west, and borders Myanmar to the southwest. Named for its proximity to the Lancang River, it is a brilliant pearl on China's southwestern border. Lincang's average annual temperature ranges between 16.8°C-17.2°C, with distinct wet and dry seasons and abundant sunshine.

FrontStreet Coffee has established its own estate in the Lincang coffee region of Yunnan. Subsequently, in 2021, FrontStreet Coffee produced its first self-grown coffee bean—FrontStreet Coffee 2013 Natural Typica Coffee. FrontStreet Coffee took a fancy to this "green pearl on the border," and during the early establishment of FrontStreet Coffee, simultaneously established its own coffee estate in Lincang, one of Yunnan's main coffee-producing regions, planting the most ancient Arabica variety—Typica.

Yunnan Coffee Processing Methods

Due to perennial rainy seasons and unstable climate, most Yunnan coffee beans are processed using the washed method. However, there are also natural-processed coffee beans. FrontStreet Coffee's Catimor includes both washed Yunnan small-grain coffee and natural-processed Catimor coffee, and of course, there's also FrontStreet Coffee Estate's FrontStreet Coffee 2013 Natural Typica Coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations:

Regarding coffee brewing, FrontStreet Coffee has always believed that coffee bean freshness is a crucial factor affecting coffee flavor. The coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are all roasted within 5 days, because FrontStreet Coffee deeply understands that coffee bean freshness greatly impacts flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "freshly roasted good coffee," ensuring that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee when it arrives. The coffee's resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive it, it's at its peak flavor.

Of course, some customers need FrontStreet Coffee to grind the beans for them, which is also fine, but FrontStreet Coffee must remind you: when coffee beans are ground in advance, they don't need the resting period. Because during transportation, the pressure from carbon dioxide buildup in the packaging also helps round out the coffee flavor, so you can brew the coffee grounds immediately upon receipt. However, coffee grounds need to be brewed promptly, as they oxidize quickly when exposed to air, meaning the coffee flavor dissipates more rapidly, and the coffee won't taste as good. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee suggests purchasing whole beans and grinding fresh before brewing to better experience the coffee's flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan Coffee Brewing Parameters:

FrontStreet Coffee believes that Yunnan coffee's flavor profile is rather balanced, meaning it simultaneously exhibits sour, sweet, and bitter notes, so a medium roast is chosen to highlight chocolate aroma while retaining some acidity. From cupping, FrontStreet Coffee tastes that Yunnan small-grain daily coffee presents nutty and herbal notes, brown sugar sweetness, and plum acidity, with a balanced mouthfeel. The natural-processed FrontStreet Coffee 2013 has higher fruit sweetness, black tea-like richness, carrying chocolate's weightiness, with clear overall flavor and clean aftertaste.

Based on Yunnan coffee's balanced and moderate flavor profile, FrontStreet Coffee uses a medium water temperature of 88°C. Water that's too high can easily produce burnt, bitter flavors, while water that's too low can lead to under-extraction. Compared to other conical drippers, the V60 has a larger-diameter spout, spiral ribs connecting top to bottom for water flow guidance, allowing steam to escape more easily during extraction, thereby enhancing flavor complexity.

FrontStreet Coffee 2013 Natural Typica Coffee Flavor:

Rich body, prominent sweet and sour notes, with citrus and berry characteristics, a hint of fermented wine aroma, caramel-like sweetness, creamy aftertaste, and black tea-like mouthfeel.