What Makes Baoshan Yunnan Catimor Coffee Beans Different? Is Yunnan Catimor Honey-Processed Sweet?

FrontStreet Coffee - An Introduction to the Catimor Variety

Coffee cultivation in Baoshan began in the mid-1950s, when the first seedlings were introduced from Southeast Asia by the late patriotic overseas Chinese Mr. Liang Jinshan. The Baoshan growing area lies on the eastern foothills of the Gaoligong Mountains, in a dry-hot valley with a South Asian tropical monsoon climate — dry winters, wet summers. Abundant sunshine, rich heat, modest rainfall, warm fog-free winters, and year-round frost-free conditions have earned it a reputation as a "natural greenhouse" and "tropical treasure land."

The locally renowned Lujiangba small-bean coffee won a gold medal at the 42nd Brussels Eureka Expo in 1993, where world-class coffee experts from Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, and beyond praised it for "world-class quality" and "world-class cultivation standards." As international trade has expanded, Lujiangba's small-bean coffee has grown even more famous. Merchants across Europe, the Americas, and the Arab world — especially Britain, the United States, Egypt, Hong Kong, and Macau — regard it as premium coffee, and demand has outstripped supply. In December 2010, after review by China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, "Baoshan Small Bean Coffee" was granted national geographical indication product protection. As of the end of 2016, Baoshan's coffee cultivation area reached 260,000 mu with a total output of 35,000 tons, distributed mainly across the counties and cities of Longyang, Longling, Changning, and Shidian.

Baoshan was among the first areas in Yunnan to cultivate coffee. The small-bean varieties grown there today include Catimor, Coffea Arabica var. typica Cramer, Coffea Arabica var. bourbon Choussy, Coffea Arabica var. Caturra KMC, Mundo Novo culti var, and S288.

More than 20 towns and cities in Baoshan's dry-hot valleys along the Nujiang and Lancang river basins now cultivate small-bean coffee. That same 260,000-mu, 35,000-ton industry generated an output value of 1.01 billion yuan as of 2016, ranking third in the province by cultivation area and second by total production. Baoshan small-bean coffee has been exported to Britain, France, Spain, Canada, the United States, and Russia, and entered the Thai market for the first time, earning over $30 million in foreign exchange and widespread acclaim from overseas buyers.

Laos Coffee Growing Conditions

Laos has a tropical northern-edge and subtropical humid monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of 20.1°C. The pairing of relatively low temperatures with dry conditions, abundant sunshine, and significant day-night temperature differences creates ideal coffee-growing conditions. Annual precipitation ranges from 1,700 to 2,060 millimeters, and at average elevations of 800–1,700 meters, it is among the most suitable regions for coffee cultivation.

The Lao government maintains strong environmental awareness, strictly controlling pesticide and fertilizer use so that the coffee it produces meets organic standards. The Bolaven Plateau is Asia's only coffee-growing region with volcanic ash soil.

Catimor Honey Process Cupping Notes

Catimor honey process reveals flavors of tropical fruits, chocolate, florals, and nuts. Laos's geography is well suited to coffee cultivation, and honey processing — which demands greater technical skill — brings out an even more intense fruit aroma in the cup.

Knowledge point: As early as 1892, a French missionary carried coffee seeds into Yunnan and successfully planted the province's first coffee tree in a place called Zhukula.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

"Small bean" is simply another name for Arabica — so called because its fruit is the smallest of the three coffee species. Yunnan's coffee story traces back to that first tree planted by a French missionary, and the province's geography and climate made small-bean coffee a resounding success. FrontStreet's Yunnan small-bean coffee comes from the Baoshan region: washed and medium roasted, it brews into gentle notes of nut and chocolate with a touch of plum acidity, and its friendly price makes it many people's first taste of Yunnan coffee. To go a step deeper, FrontStreet's 2013 natural Typica — planted on its own estate from trees of the same variety the French missionaries first brought in — uses only fully ripe red cherries and a medium roast for balance and lifted sweet-tart structure: dark berry tones, caramel sweetness, chocolate, a hint of dried apricot, and a black-tea finish. And for espresso drinkers, the FrontStreet Black Cocoa blend, combining Yunnan small-bean with Brazil Cerrado, balances nuts and brown sugar in an Americano and gives lattes a smooth almond-and-cream texture — an easy recommendation for beginners.