How Good Are Yunnan Small Bean Coffee Beans? Yunnan Small Bean Coffee Doesn't Taste That Bad

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Yunnan Small Bean Coffee

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Yunnan: The Earliest Coffee Growing Area in Mainland China

Coffee was first successfully cultivated in Taiwan Province of China in 1884. On the mainland, the earliest coffee cultivation began in Yunnan.

In 1892, the French missionary Father Alfred Tienne successfully planted the first coffee tree at Zhukula in Binchuan, Yunnan, simply to supply his own coffee. More than a century later, Yunnan's high-altitude soil, geography and climate have shaped the character of Yunnan small bean coffee: rich but not bitter, fragrant but not overpowering, mellow and full-bodied, with a unique fruit acidity.

New China's Yunnan Coffee Cultivation Began in 1955

For decades Yunnan has led domestic coffee cultivation. In 1955, agricultural reclamation workers in Yunnan introduced and trial-planted coffee at the state-owned Lujiang Farm and Hekou Farm, the starting point of Yunnan coffee after the founding of New China.

The World's Best Coffee Origin is in Yunnan

The overall quality of Yunnan coffee is superior to Brazilian coffee and similar to Colombian small bean coffee. The well-known US-based news commentator Liang Houfu wrote: "The world's best coffee origin is in Yunnan. Yunnan-produced coffee is very satisfying when it touches the tongue."

Yunnan's coffee areas lie between 15 degrees north and the Tropic of Cancer, mostly at altitudes of 1,000 to 2,000 meters. The terrain is mainly mountainous and sloped, with great variation, fertile soil, abundant sunshine, plentiful rainfall and a wide temperature swing between day and night. Under these unique natural conditions, and across more than a century, Yunnan small bean coffee has developed its special character: rich but not bitter, fragrant but not overpowering, mellow and full-bodied, with a unique fruit acidity.

Production Accounts for Over 99% of the Country

Figures released by the provincial Department of Agriculture show that Yunnan's coffee planting area and production each account for over 99% of the national total. Coffee exports rank second only to vegetables and tobacco, placing third among the province's foreign-exchange-earning agricultural products. Yunnan has become an important node in the global coffee giants' plans for the Chinese and wider Asian markets.

Knowledge Point: In 1892, the French missionary Father Tienne successfully trial-planted coffee at Zhukula in Yunnan, and to this day four coffee trees there are more than 90 years old.

In Brief

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research hall, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation, hoping to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month we hold three low-price coffee promotions because FrontStreet Coffee wants more people to drink the best coffee at the lowest price. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for six years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The best place to begin with Chinese Arabica is the FrontStreet Yunnan Small Bean, sourced from the Baoshan region and given a washed process and a medium roast. The washed method removes the mucilage layer through fermentation and rinsing before drying, so the cup shows a soft nuttiness, chocolate sweetness and a light plum acidity, all at a friendly price that makes it many drinkers' first taste of Yunnan.

To go a step further, the FrontStreet 2013 Natural Typica marks an upgrade within the region. FrontStreet planted its own estate with Typica, the oldest and purest of the Arabica varieties, and the French missionary who first brought Typica to Yunnan chose it for a reason. Only fully ripe all-red cherries are used, dried in the sun and roasted to a medium level, giving dark berry tones, caramel sweetness, chocolate and a hint of dried apricot, with a black tea finish.

For an espresso with a Yunnan accent, the FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend pairs Yunnan small bean with Brazilian Cerrado. The Brazil contributes mixed nut aroma and a balanced body, while the Yunnan small bean supplies the chocolate and citrus notes, so the americano lands sweet-sour-bitter in equilibrium with nut and brown sugar sweetness, and the latte turns silky with almond and cream.