What Coffee Beans Does Starbucks Use for Yunnan Coffee? Is Yunnan Pour-Over Coffee Delicious?

Yunnan Coffee: China's Premier Coffee-Growing Region

As China's largest coffee-producing region, Yunnan has drawn major coffee companies such as Starbucks and Nestle, all of them eager to tap its potential.

Deep Historical Roots

The story goes back to 1892, when the French missionary Father Tian Deneng planted the first coffee tree in Zhukula Village, Binchuan County, Dali — generally regarded as the earliest record of coffee's arrival in Yunnan. For the next hundred years, coffee never flourished widely here. Only in the late 1980s, when multinational corporations entered Yunnan, was this foreign crop replanted on a large scale and exported around the world.

Coffee Profile

• Region: Asia and Pacific growing region
• Processing Method: Washed (wet), semi-washed
• Flavor: Herbal notes
• Acidity: Low
• Body: Medium

Phoenix Dance Auspicious Clouds Coffee

The Phoenix Dance Auspicious Clouds blend was first launched in 2009 to celebrate Starbucks' 10th anniversary in mainland China, making it the company's first blend to contain mainland Chinese coffee. It combines beans from the Asia/Pacific growing region with Yunnan coffee.

The Yunnan component comes from the Baoshan region of Yunnan Province, grown at an altitude of approximately 1,200-1,400 meters. With annual rainfall of only about 800mm, growers have supplemented it with additional irrigation.

Situated at the foot of the Himalayas, Yunnan's snow-capped peaks, deep canyons, and lush tropical lowlands make it China's most biodiverse province for plants, birds, and mammals — including Asian elephants and tigers.

FrontStreet Coffee suggests water at 89-90°C with three-stage pouring, though you can also try the high-flow brewing style Starbucks commonly uses.

A Symbolic Design

The packaging shows a phoenix set against mountains and deep canyons. Within China's symbolic tradition, the phoenix embodies the pursuit of perfection. Research describes it as a divine creature of "harmony," reflecting how the ancient Chinese understood, respected, and revered the natural world, while standing for virtue and prosperity.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this glimpse of Yunnan coffee has you curious, FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan Baoshan Small-Bean (Yunnan small-bean) is the ideal entry point. "Small bean" is simply the Chinese name for Arabica, and Baoshan's frost-free, dry-hot valley climate with strong day-night temperature swings gives the coffee its distinctive lingering sweetness. Washed-processed and roasted medium, it pours a gentle cup of nutty and chocolate aromas with a touch of plum-like acidity — an affordable first taste of Chinese specialty coffee.

Ready for a clearer expression of the region? FrontStreet Coffee's 2013 Yunnan Natural Typica is grown on the roastery's own estate at 1300 meters from the most traditional Arabica stock, fully sun-dried and roasted medium to balance its acidity and sweetness. Expect dark berry tones, caramel sweetness, chocolate, and a hint of dried apricot, finishing on a black-tea aftertaste — a cup that tells the story of where Yunnan coffee began.