Introduction to Yunnan Coffee Growing Regions - Flavor Characteristics of Yunnan Catimor and Typica Coffee Varieties

FrontStreet Coffee - Knowledge Sharing about Yunnan Coffee Regions and Varieties

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The main coffee producing areas in Yunnan are: Pu'er, Baoshan, Dehong, Xishuangbanna and Lincang.

The coffee varieties planted in Yunnan are mainly Catimor, with some Typica and Bourbon as well. In recent years, many new varieties have been experimentally cultivated. Catimor is a hybrid of the Arabica series Catuai and the Robusta series Timor.

The coffee cultivation areas in Yunnan are located between 21° and 25° north latitude, which already reaches the northernmost edge of the coffee cultivation belt. Typically, coffee plants find it difficult to flower and bear fruit north of 25° north latitude. However, why does coffee grow relatively well in Baoshan, which is already at 25° north latitude? This is because Baoshan is adjacent to the Gaoligong Mountains, forming a dry-hot valley climate that is conducive to coffee cultivation.

The western and southern parts of Yunnan Province are situated between 15° north latitude and the Tropic of Cancer. Most areas have elevations between 1,000-2,000 meters, with primarily mountainous and sloped terrain that features significant undulations, fertile soil, abundant sunlight, plentiful rainfall, and large temperature differences between day and night. These unique natural conditions contribute to the distinctive characteristics of Yunnan small-seed coffee - rich but not bitter, fragrant but not overpowering, with a slight fruity note.

The Baoshan region has a long history of coffee cultivation and is recognized as the best small-seed coffee producing area, making it one of the regions with superior coffee quality both nationally and globally. One of the so-called "old varieties" of coffee mentioned by Yunnan Baoshan locals is Typica. This variety is an ancient native coffee variety from Ethiopia.

Typica plants have reddish-brown terminal leaves, with opposite leaves that are long and elliptical, smooth leaf surfaces, and long terminal branches with few branches. Although Typica coffee has an elegant flavor, the plant is relatively weak with poor disease resistance, making it susceptible to coffee leaf rust disease and yielding relatively low production.

Typica

Typica coffee originated in Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan and is the most widely cultivated coffee variety in the Western Hemisphere. The plants are relatively robust but not tolerant to strong sunlight, yielding higher production in Hawaii. The terminal leaves of Typica are reddish-brown, earning it the name "red-topped coffee." Typica is recognized as a specialty coffee variety, and many commercial improved varieties are derived from it. It offers excellent flavor characteristics but has extremely low yields and is vulnerable to rust disease, requiring more intensive human management.

Knowledge Expansion

In 1892, French missionary Father Tienne (Tian De Neng) was preaching in Binchuan, Dali. In order to have coffee to drink, he planted coffee trees in Zhukula Village near the church in Binchuan County and taught the local villagers how to cultivate and drink coffee.

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