An Analysis of Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee Characteristics: Are Catimor Coffee Beans Really Poor in Flavor?

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Yunnan Coffee Varieties

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Arabica coffee, also known as small-grain coffee, originates from wild coffee produced in Africa. It was later introduced to Europe through Arabia and became widely known, hence its name. In the 1890s, it was introduced to Zhukula, Binchuan County, Dali, China, and has since taken root and developed in mainland China. Yunnan has become the representative of Chinese coffee, therefore Yunnan coffee is also known as "Yunnan small-grain coffee."

Southern Yunnan is precisely located in a region of low latitude, high altitude, and large temperature differences between day and night. These unique natural advantages are particularly suitable for the growth of small-grain coffee, making it the most suitable area in the country for producing high-quality coffee. Most Yunnan coffee is planted in the dry-hot valley areas at altitudes of 1000-2000 meters, resulting in moderate acidity, rich aroma, and mellow taste. The unintentional act of French missionaries actually found a very comfortable and suitable "home" for coffee trees to grow.

Catimor

Small-grain coffee Catimor is a general term for hybrid varieties cultivated by the Portuguese International Coffee Rust Research Center (CIFC) using Caturra19/IXHDT832/l (HW26) and Caturra19/IXHDT832/2 (H.6). It has now been distributed to most coffee-producing countries and has undergone further selection and adaptation research, introducing many different generations of Catimor hybrids and Can-mor derived varieties. Some of these show good botanical characteristics and resistance to known rust physiological races, while others are only used as breeding materials. In Yunnan's coffee cultivation, Catimor is the main variety, with large cultivation scale and area.

Over 99% of Yunnan's coffee is of the Catimor variety. This variety has a small amount of Robusta genes, strong resistance to pests and diseases, but its flavor is slightly inferior to Arabica beans.

Yunnan small-grain coffee has a smooth, rich and full-bodied taste, with gentle acidity, sweet aroma, and a faint tea-like, floral-fruity and chocolate fragrance.

At the National Coffee Conference in 1980, Baoshan small-grain coffee from Yunnan was hailed as the "Crown of National Coffee"; in 1992, at the first China Agricultural Expo, Baoshan small-grain coffee was awarded the highest silver prize; in 1993, it won the Eureka Gold Award at the 42nd Brussels Eureka Expo in Belgium...

Pu'er City's coffee cultivation area reaches 650,000 mu, becoming China's largest coffee production area with the highest output and best quality, as well as the main distribution center for coffee trade.

Knowledge Extension

Most of Yunnan's current cultivation is Catimor, which is a hybrid of the Bourbon lineage branch Caturra from the Arabica species and the Robusta species.

In Summary

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