Yunnan Coffee Discovery Journey: Exploring Coffee Together in Yunnan

It has been a week since I returned from Yunnan, and I keep feeling that I should put some reflections into writing, if only to make the trip feel worthwhile and to make it easier to look back on later.

This was actually my second trip to Yunnan. The first time I only had a brief look at Pu'er. I set out with a pile of questions and came back with another pile. Since I began roasting coffee, questions about coffee varieties have gradually taken shape in my mind. Aside from factors such as altitude, soil, and climate, I personally believe variety is the key determinant of a bean's flavour. This time we headed south and began a coffee-gathering journey along the way, picking cherries from 800 meters at the foot of the mountain all the way up to 1,500 meters on the slopes.

Coffee Variety Collection

Looking around, most of what is planted in Yunnan today is Catimor. This variety is a hybrid between Caturra, a branch of the Bourbon lineage within Arabica, and the Robusta species. Farmers plant it because Catimor carries Robusta genes, making it more disease-resistant than the old pure varieties, with good yields as well. Compared with delicate old varieties that resist disease poorly and yield little, farmers naturally prefer Catimor, and so a Catimor wave has swept across Yunnan. But can it be considered specialty coffee? I still have a large question mark in my mind about this variety.

The new leaves at the tips of the branches in the image above are copper-coloured, which is characteristic of the Typica coffee tree. Typica is an old variety within Arabica, and the well-known Hawaiian Kona is in fact also a Typica. Amid a vast sea of Catimor, it is actually quite easy to recognise. Look carefully and you will find that each variety has its own appearance. Catimor leaves all droop downward and the tree looks as though it is wearing a cloak, whereas Typica branches point upward, with copper-tipped new leaves at the crown.

In the end, we selectively picked Typica cherries at three altitudes: 800, 1,200, and 1,500 meters. I had assumed that climbing the mountain to pick beans would be exhausting, but in fact the processing that followed was the real work. Removing the pulp, soaking and washing, and then removing the parchment after drying were all done by hand, and I can say goodbye to my fingertips. All that effort was just to compare the flavours Typica shows at different altitudes, and to see how this pure old Arabica variety performs in Yunnan's soil. A few days ago I roasted two of the processed batches, so if you have time you are welcome to come to the shop and try them.

Separately, I originally wanted to try natural processing with these beans, but as it turned out the weather in Guangzhou has been consistently poor, with continuous light rain and high humidity. Fortunately the sun has come out these past two days, though I am not sure how the naturally processed beans will turn out. Interested friends can come and try them later as well.

Reflections on Yunnan Coffee

For me, this trip to Yunnan was not only about understanding varieties but also about getting a closer look at this land. Can we really grow high-quality specialty coffee like other producing countries? In reality, the hardware conditions are entirely sufficient: the altitude is adequate, the soil is fine, and the climate is suitable too. The only troublesome aspect may be variety cultivation. Which varieties suit this soil? Which ones can truly shine here? Unlike roasting experiments, where you can put in green beans, roast for about ten minutes, then cool and cup to know a bean's flavour, cultivation works differently. A seed takes at least three years to bear coffee fruit, and only after picking, processing, and roasting can you finally know the result. I think that once you step into this mystery, you might genuinely need to dedicate your whole life to it. But if one can truly do one thing well and refine it perfectly in a lifetime, then perhaps that can be considered a life well lived.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this journey into Yunnan's old varieties has you curious, FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan small-grain coffee is the ideal introduction. Grown in the Baoshan region and given a washed process and a medium roast, it pours with gentle nutty and chocolate sweetness and a light plum acidity, at a price that makes it many people's first taste of Yunnan.

For a clearer, more expressive cup, FrontStreet Coffee's 2013 sun-dried Typica comes from the estate FrontStreet established in 2013, planted with Typica because it is one of the oldest and purest Arabica varieties and because the very first coffee trees brought to Yunnan by a French missionary were also Typica. Sun-dried and medium roasted, it balances acidity and sweetness and shows dark berry notes, caramel sweetness, chocolate, and a hint of dried apricot, with a black-tea finish.

To taste Yunnan in an espresso, FrontStreet Coffee's Black Cocoa Blend combines Yunnan small-grain coffee with Brazil Cerrado: the Brazil supplies the mixed-nut aroma and a balanced body, while the Yunnan takes on the chocolate and citrus role, giving an Americano with balanced acidity, sweetness, and bitterness and a latte with the smooth texture of almond and cream.