Exploring Yunnan Coffee Varieties and Their Unique Flavor Profiles - The Distinct Character of Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Yunnan Coffee Varieties

The most widely planted coffee variety in Yunnan region currently is Catimor, with small amounts of Typica and Bourbon also planted in the Baoshan area. Although these varieties all belong to the Arabica species in a broader sense, there are significant differences in essence between these several varieties.

Typica

Typica is the most classic high-quality Arabica variety, and many commercial improved varieties today originate from this type. It exhibits excellent flavor characteristics and is recognized as a specialty coffee variety, but it has extremely low yields and is susceptible to rust disease, requiring more labor management. 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 not tolerant to strong light, with higher yields in Hawaii. Typica has bronze-colored top leaves, earning it the name "red-top coffee."

Bourbon

This variety originates from Typica and was spread after being planted by the French in 1708 on Bourbon Island (now Réunion Island). Bourbon also possesses wonderful aroma and rich flavors, with higher yields and growth vigor compared to Typica, making it suitable for cultivation in areas at 1200-2000 meters altitude. However, it has weak disease and pest resistance and is quite sensitive to strong winds and heavy rainfall. Bourbon coffee is the second most important variety after Typica among small-seeded coffees. The main branches initially grow upward at a 45-degree angle to the main trunk, drooping as fruit loads increase. Side branches have denser nodes, produce more fruit, and yield higher. However, the berries are smaller and mature slower. Bourbon has green top buds and young leaves, earning it the name "green-top coffee."

Catimor

Catimor is not of pure Arabica lineage. It is a hybrid between Timor (which belongs to the Robusta species) and Caturra (a Bourbon variety mutant), so Catimor has 25% Robusta lineage. Its Robusta lineage also determines its flavor defects: insufficient aroma richness, overall bitter taste, prone to astringency and relatively pungent moldy flavors.

The Pu'er region in Yunnan exclusively plants the Catimor variety. Baoshan city introduced Typica and Bourbon varieties as early as the 1950s, which locals call "old varieties." Because these old varieties have lower disease and pest resistance and yields, plus require more labor in management, and market procurement prices don't offer much advantage, coffee farmers have increasingly switched to planting the new Catimor variety in recent years. From the botanical perspective of coffee, Yunnan small-seeded coffee has genetic similarities to the recognized excellent Jamaica Blue Mountain and Hawaii Kona coffees.

Historical Note

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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