Introduction to Caturra, Catimor, Catuai, Costa Rica 95, and Lempira Varieties

Bourbon is one of the most significant Arabica varieties in coffee culture and genetics, prized for thriving at high altitudes and for its exceptional cup quality. Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon. The name comes from the Guaraní language, meaning "small" — Caturra carries a single-gene mutation that keeps the plant compact. As the coffee industry has grown, Caturra has been transplanted, mutated, and crossbred over and over, giving rise to many descendant varieties.

Catimor (T8667)

Catimor is a cross between Timor and Caturra, producing an F1 hybrid variety group designated T8667. Because its traits still require selection and breeding to stabilize, Catimor is not a single variety but a family of closely related bloodlines. Catimor varieties are known for high yields and resistance to leaf rust, and they can grow at lower altitudes — though they are vulnerable to the fungal disease Ojo de Gallo ("chicken eye"). Today they are cultivated in Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, and China's Yunnan province.

Catuai

Catuai is a cross between the highly productive Mundo Novo and Caturra, developed by the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC) in São Paulo State, Brazil. It combines high productivity with a compact growth habit that allows dense planting — though not as dense as Caturra. These traits have made Catuai a fixture in coffee-growing countries such as Brazil, Honduras, and Guatemala.

Costa Rica 95 / Lempira / Catisic

These are specific selections drawn from the Catimor group, bred from T8667 in different countries. Costa Rica's CATIE developed Costa Rica 95, characterized by high yields and suitability for acidic, aluminum-containing soils at low altitudes — though it is susceptible to leaf rust and the Ojo de Gallo fungal disease.

Lempira was selected by Honduras' IHCAFE and shares characteristics similar to Costa Rica 95. Catisic, developed in El Salvador, resembles Costa Rica 95 as well but adds resistance to coffee leaf rust.

Of course, FrontStreet Coffee also offers a Caturra-variety coffee: the Rose Valley lot from the Tree Estate in Colombia's Santander region. FrontStreet Coffee's Rose Valley beans undergo anaerobic washed processing. Brewed on a V60 at a 1:15 ratio, they release rose florals with flavors of peach, cranberry, and liqueur-filled chocolate, finished with a smooth mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Catimor is the backbone of Chinese coffee growing, so if you'd like to taste it at its best, start with FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan Arabica. Yunnan has sat on the "golden coffee belt" around 25°N since 1904, when French missionaries planted the first Typica trees in Binchuan County. FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan lot comes from the Baoshan region, washed-processed and medium roasted, showing gentle nut and chocolate sweetness with a touch of plum acidity — an affordable first step into Chinese specialty coffee.

For a clearer expression of Yunnan's character, try FrontStreet Coffee's 2013 Natural Typica from our own Yunnan estate: only fully ripe, all-red cherries are harvested and sun-dried, then medium roasted for balance. Expect dark berry tones, caramel sweetness, chocolate, and a hint of dried apricot, with a black tea aftertaste. And for espresso drinkers, FrontStreet Coffee's Black Cocoa Blend — Yunnan Arabica combined with Brazil Cerrado — yields a balanced, nut-and-brown-sugar Americano and a silky latte with almond and cream notes.