China's Finest Yunnan Coffee Origins: Flavor Profile Differences Between Catimor and Typica Varieties

Introduction to Yunnan Coffee

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When it comes to famous coffee in China, Yunnan coffee is undoubtedly the most notable. Although its history in the specialty coffee market is relatively recent, FrontStreet Coffee believes that Yunnan is China's best coffee-producing region, and its coffee beans show tremendous potential. What kind of geographical environment has created Yunnan coffee? In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce the main coffee-producing regions and coffee cultivation history of Yunnan coffee beans!

Yunnan Coffee Cultivation History

Although Yunnan coffee is still an emerging coffee bean in the specialty coffee market, according to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, the cultivation history of Yunnan coffee beans in China is not short.

Specifically, it began in 1904 when French missionaries brought the first batch of coffee seedlings from Vietnam to Binchuan County, Yunnan, and China has been producing coffee ever since. However, large-scale cultivation of Yunnan coffee began in 1955, with a planting area of 4,000 hectares. By the end of 1997, the coffee cultivation area in Yunnan Province had reached 7,800 hectares. Currently, Yunnan Province's cultivation area accounts for 70% of the country's total, and Yunnan coffee production accounts for 83% of the national total. Therefore, in terms of both area and coffee production, Yunnan coffee has established its dominant position in China.

Yunnan Coffee Bean Regions

The western and southern regions of Yunnan Province are located between 15 degrees north latitude and the Tropic of Cancer. Most areas are situated at altitudes of 1,000-2,000 meters. The terrain is predominantly mountains and slopes. Unique natural conditions—fertile land, abundant sunshine, plentiful rainfall, and significant temperature differences—have created Yunnan coffee's flavor profile: rich but not bitter, aromatic but not overwhelming, with a slight fruity note. This is why FrontStreet Coffee often says that the formation of a single-origin coffee bean's flavor is inseparable from the climate and geography of its producing region. After all, coffee beans are agricultural products, easily influenced by factors such as soil and climate that can make their flavor better or worse.

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, Yunnan coffee farms are currently mainly distributed in the southern and southwestern parts of Yunnan, including Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Dehong, Baoshan, and other regions.

Pu'er Region

Pu'er City is famous for tea, with a coffee cultivation area of 789,000 mu, coffee bean production of 586,600 tons, and a total output value of 2.469 billion yuan. It has become Yunnan's largest coffee cultivation base. Its climate, geography, and soil conditions provide unique advantages for coffee cultivation. It has become the largest coffee-producing region in mainland China, with the largest cultivation area, highest production, and most high-quality coffee trade distribution center.

Coffee is cultivated in 54 townships across 9 counties and 1 district of Pu'er City. It is renowned as the "Coffee Capital of China." Pu'er coffee is not only a major coffee-producing region in China but also the area that receives the most coffee study tours.

Dehong Region

Dehong Prefecture is one of the main coffee-producing regions in Yunnan Province and one of the earliest coffee-producing areas in the province. According to historical records, since 1914, Arabica coffee has been introduced to Nongxian Village, Dehong County. Coffee cultivation has a history of several hundred years. Dehong Prefecture also houses China's largest coffee seed gene bank—the Ruili Coffee Germplasm Resources Garden of the Ministry of Agriculture, which is one of the first nine crop germplresource nurseries in tropical regions designated by the Ministry of Agriculture. Coffee cultivation in Dehong Prefecture is primarily Arabica, with a national record of 363.5 kilograms of coffee beans per unit area (the average yield per mu of coffee beans in China is about 80-100 kilograms).

Coffee cultivation in Dehong Prefecture is at altitudes exceeding 1,000 meters. Among these, 30,000 mu are cultivated on mountains above 1,600 meters. Additionally, Dehong Prefecture primarily uses organic fertilizers and organic pesticides for coffee cultivation. The coffee produced in Dehong Prefecture is of high quality, making it one of the rare producers of premium coffee in the world.

Baoshan Region

Baoshan coffee in Yunnan has a long cultivation history. It is a national geographical indication product and one of the high-quality coffees in the country and globally. The average temperature in Baoshan is 21.5°C, with a maximum temperature of 40.4°C. It is basically frost-free throughout the year and is considered the best origin for Arabica coffee. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the Arabica coffee brewed here is famous for its richness without bitterness, aroma without overwhelming intensity, uniform bean size, gentle fragrance, and fruity notes.

Baoshan's Lujiangba is a relatively famous coffee-producing region, known for producing Typica variety coffee. Compared to Arabica (Catimor), Typica has superior flavor quality but lower yield and is more difficult to cultivate. Therefore, Yunnan's coffee farmers are more inclined to plant high-yield Catimor. Frontsteet's Yunnan Huaguoshan comes from Typica variety in Lujiangba. It uses washed processing, which better reflects the flavor characteristics of the Yunnan region.

This coffee exhibits notes of melon seed fragrance, black tea, cantaloupe, and plum acidity, with a very gentle and aromatic profile.

Lincang Region

Lincang City is located in the southwestern part of Yunnan Province. The Tropic of Cancer passes through its southern part. It borders Pu'er to the east, Dali to the north, Baoshan to the west, and Myanmar to the southwest. Therefore, it is also called the Lancang River, a brilliant pearl on China's southwestern border. The average annual temperature in Lincang City ranges between 16.8°C and 17.2°C. Dry and wet seasons are distinct, with ample sunlight.

Lincang City has become a focus of attention for many coffee companies due to its unique geographical location and climate conditions. High-quality coffee seedling bases of 200 mu and 100 mu have been established respectively in Mengding Town, Gengma Dai and Yi Autonomous County, and Lincang Huanle Farm. Coffee cultivation has been carried out in Gengma, Zhenkang, Yun County, Cangyuan, and Yongde.

It is precisely for this reason that FrontStreet Coffee saw the infinite potential of Yunnan coffee, so it also established a plantation in Lincang, Yunnan, specifically dedicated to growing Typica variety coffee and a small number of Bourbon variety coffee trees. The purpose is to let everyone experience the charm of Yunnan coffee beans, because the Typica variety is one of the highest quality derivatives of Arabica, and its flavor expression is naturally the most primitive and best, which is why FrontStreet Coffee chose it.

Without personally planting coffee, how can one clearly describe the real coffee production process? This was the philosophy with which Frontsteet began. To grow coffee in Yunnan, you could purchase an existing coffee estate to start with an easy difficulty, or choose a piece of land suitable for coffee cultivation and start from scratch with hell difficulty. Frontsteet chose the latter, because FrontStreet Coffee deeply understands that to produce excellent quality coffee beans, variety, soil, environment, cultivation level, and processing level are all indispensable.

Frontsteet selected and bred the Typica variety, which is a pure Arabica species with superior flavor compared to the Catimor variety currently planted in Yunnan. From seedling to first fruiting, it takes at least 4-5 years, which is why Yunnan's coffee farmers, despite knowing that the Catimor variety has inferior flavor, are unwilling to uproot and replant. The first batch of self-produced Yunnan coffee beans from Frontsteet in 2020-21 was named "Frontsteet 2013" and received unanimous praise. In February 2022, the new season's Frontsteet 2013 was finally available to the public again.

This year's coffee beans are fuller and larger than last year's; like last year, only natural processing was done. After processing, they were immediately shipped to Guangzhou for roasting. The day after roasting, Frontsteet's barista couldn't wait to cup this bean. The performance of this bean was stunning—dried apricot, caramel, black plum, and black tea. Overall, it showed a very sweet flavor profile.

Roasting and Brewing Recommendations

Before launching any new single-origin coffee bean, FrontStreet Coffee conducts roasting and brewing flavor tests to select the most excellent flavor profile, making it convenient for future brewing for coffee enthusiast friends who visit FrontStreet Coffee. Next, Frontsteet will share the roasting and brewing data for FrontStreet Coffee's single-region Yunnan coffee beans.

Frontsteet Yunnan Huaguoshan Coffee Roasting Recommendations

The moisture content of general coffee beans is 10.9%, so FrontStreet Coffee's roaster plans to introduce the beans when the roaster reaches 200°C, then use high heat and small air valve to speed up dehydration. After the dehydration stage ends, open the medium air valve and medium heat to prevent the Maillard reaction time from being too rushed, with a 3-minute development after first crack before dropping. Temperature return point: 1 minute 32 seconds, 92.5°C; Yellowing point: 5 minutes 40 seconds, 148.5°C; First crack: 8 minutes 59 seconds, 188.0°C; 3-minute development before dropping: 12'00, 196°C.

Frontsteet 2013 Yunnan Coffee Roasting Recommendations

Heat the roaster to 200°C, set the air valve to 3, and after 1 minute, adjust the heat to 160°C. Temperature return point at 1:36 seconds. Roast until 4:50 when yellowing occurs at 150.7°C, when the grassy smell completely disappears and dehydration is complete. Keep the heat unchanged, adjust the air valve to 4; at the 6th minute, adjust the heat to 140, at the 7th minute, adjust the heat to 120 again. At the 8th minute, ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the toast smell clearly turns to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 8:33, first crack begins, adjust heat to 90, fully open the air valve to 5. At the 9th minute, reduce the heat to 20 degrees, with 2'05" development after first crack, and drop at 198.5°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Pour-over Recommendations

Because both of these beans come from Yunnan and are roasted to a medium level, Frontsteet recommends using the V60 conical dripper. The V60 has a larger opening, and together with its unique spiral ribs, allows air to be more easily discharged, thereby improving extraction quality. The body might not be as thick, but its high concentration that brings out Yunnan coffee's fruit acidity and distinct aroma is its major characteristic.

Dripper: V60
Water Temperature: 90-92°C
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium-fine grind (75% pass rate through China standard #20 sieve)

Brewing Method: Segmented extraction.

Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour in small circular motions to 124g for segmentation. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 227g and stop pouring. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper. (Timing starts from the bloom) Extraction time is 2 minutes.

Huaguoshan Brewing Flavor Description: Rich but not bitter, aromatic but not intense, with floral notes, cantaloupe sweetness in the middle, and black tea finish.

Frontsteet 2013 Brewing Flavor Description: Dried apricot, gentle fruit acidity, chocolate, black tea.

Important Notice :

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