How to Identify Catimor Coffee Trees: The Characteristics of Catimor Coffee - Neither the Best Nor the Worst

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Catimor Variety

In 1959, the Portuguese created the second-generation hybrid Catimor by crossing Brazilian Caturra with Timor. This variety exhibits exceptionally strong disease resistance and high yield capacity, though its flavor profile is inferior, making it primarily an important commercial variety. In recent years, botanists from various countries have been working to crossbreed Arabica with Catimor to reduce the Robusta genetic influence in response to criticisms about Catimor's poor cupping quality.

Careful observation reveals that each variety has its distinctive appearance. Catimor's leaves droop downward, giving the tree a form reminiscent of wearing a cloak.

Most of Yunnan's current coffee cultivation consists of Catimor, a hybrid between the Bourbon lineage Caturra (Arabica species) and Robusta species. This variety was chosen because Catimor possesses Robusta genes, making it more disease-resistant than traditional varieties, while also producing higher yields. Compared to delicate heirloom varieties with their poor disease resistance and low productivity, farmers naturally prefer growing Catimor, which has created a Catimor boom throughout Yunnan.

Early Catimor, despite its high productivity, required shade trees to prevent wilting, suggesting it was strong in appearance but weak in reality. Over the decades, many botanists have researched Catimor variety improvement, developing dozens of new varieties. Colombia became the largest beneficiary, cultivating a sun-tolerant Catimor in 1982 that was named after the country itself. Colombia claims that this multi-generation crossbred variety differs from standard Catimor and has now become one of the country's two main varieties alongside Caturra, largely replacing the weak, low-yielding Typica.

However, most winners of Colombia's Cup of Excellence competitions are typically Caturra varieties, with the Robusta-influenced Colombia variety rarely receiving awards. The commercially exported Supremo beans from Colombia are likely lower-grown Colombia or Caturra varieties rather than traditional Typica, which explains why Supremo flavor has become increasingly bland. However, Colombia cannot realistically reintroduce low-yield Typica cultivation.

In terms of flavor and mouthfeel, Catimor lacks aroma and exhibits some bitterness in taste.

Knowledge point: As early as 1892, a French missionary brought coffee seeds to Yunnan and successfully planted the first coffee tree in a place called Zhukula.

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