What Variety Are Yunnan Coffee Beans? Are Catimor Coffee Beans as Good as Others?

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Yunnan Coffee Varieties

Yunnan boasts extremely suitable day-night temperature differences and high-altitude, low-latitude ecology—these are the unique growing conditions required for coffee beans, comparable to the world's top coffee producing regions. Coupled with Yunnan's abundant sunshine and rainfall, Lincang, Baoshan, Pu'er, and Dehong are all major coffee production hubs in Yunnan. It can be said that Yunnan is China's only production area suitable for large-scale cultivation of world-class quality coffee.

Most Yunnan arabica coffee is grown in dry-hot valley areas around 1,100 meters above sea level, resulting in moderate acidity with rich and mellow aroma. Many regions in Yunnan have unique environments suitable for arabica coffee growth, producing excellent quality small-seed coffee. Planting areas are mainly distributed in Lincang, Baoshan, Simao, Xishuangbanna, Dehong, Nujiang and other prefectures. The small-seed coffee cultivated here is renowned both domestically and internationally for its richness without bitterness, fragrance without intensity, small yet uniform beans, rich mellow aroma, and fruity notes.

Typica and Bourbon, two classic premium coffee varieties, are the main cultivated varieties in Yunnan. In 1991, the Catimor series was also introduced from Kenya (with stronger virus resistance and higher yield). These are variants of the Arabica species (also known as small-seed variety). Due to the similar morphology and habits of these two varieties, they are often mixed in cultivation.

Typica coffee originated in southeastern Ethiopia and Sudan and is the most widely cultivated coffee variety in the Western Hemisphere. The plants are relatively robust but intolerant to direct sunlight, with higher yields in Hawaii. The top leaves of Typica are bronze-colored, earning it the name "red-top coffee."

Bourbon coffee is the second most important variant of arabica after Typica. The main branches initially grow upward at a 45-degree angle to the trunk, drooping as fruit loads increase. The side branch nodes are denser, resulting in more fruit and higher yields. However, the berries are smaller and mature slower. Bourbon's terminal buds and young leaves are green, earning it the name "green-top coffee."

Catimor is an improved variety of Typica with 25% Robusta genes. Its flavor is rather plain with noticeable bitterness.

Knowledge Point

Coffee is a short-day plant. Coffee has the characteristic of multiple flowering phenomena and concentrated flowering periods.

In Brief

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