Coffee culture

Do Yunnan Coffee Beans Exhibit Yunnan Regional Characteristics? What Are the Common Varieties of Yunnan Coffee Beans?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee
Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information Please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account cafe_style ) FrontStreet Coffee-Catimor Variety Introduction Yunnan Coffee Varieties The coffee varieties in Yunnan are mainly cultivated with two classic high-quality coffee varieties: Typica and Bourbon. In 1991, the Catimor series was also introduced from Kenya

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FrontStreet Coffee - Catimor Variety Introduction

Yunnan Coffee Varieties

The coffee varieties in Yunnan are mainly cultivated with two classic, high-quality coffee varieties: Typica and Bourbon.

In 1991, the Catimor series varieties were introduced from Kenya (with stronger virus resistance and higher yields), belonging to the Arabica species (also known as small-grain variety). Due to the similar morphology and habits of these two varieties, they are often cultivated in mixed cultivation.

The botanical name of small-grain coffee is Arabica, which is a category of coffee with over 100 varieties. Among them, Typica and Bourbon are recognized worldwide as the best varieties in the Arabica species. What the people of Baoshan usually refer to as "old varieties" are actually Typica and Bourbon.

What is planted here is the Catimor variety. Catimor is an artificially selected Arabica variety with 1/4 Robusta heritage, with the primary selection goal being "resistance to leaf rust disease." The reason Yunnan widely cultivates Catimor instead of planting too many old varieties like Typica and Bourbon is simple: those couldn't survive well, suffered from numerous pests and diseases, and had low yields. However, because many people in China who learn about specialty coffee read an introductory book that stated Catimor has a "devil's aftertaste," meaning a poor aftertaste, it led everyone to believe that Catimor = not tasty.

Yunnan Coffee Processing Methods

In Yunnan, the main processing method for coffee beans is the washed method, though the natural method is also used.

Coffee beans processed with the washed method allow for better control of the fermentation process, and in terms of flavor, unlike natural processed beans which may have impurities, they present distinct fruit acidity, slightly stronger complexity, and cleaner cup characteristics.

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

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