Introduction to Main Coffee Growing Regions in Yunnan, China | Characteristics and Brand Recommendations | Why Are Yunnan Coffee Beans Not Famous

Coffee is undoubtedly a foreign import to China. In a country where tea culture prevails, coffee has never managed to establish a significant presence. Even after the reform and opening-up policy, coffee culture only began to emerge in a few of the earliest opened cities. FrontStreet Coffee was established in 2013 on Bao'an Front Street in Dongshan, Guangzhou. At that time, there were very few independent cafes that could be named, and Starbucks had not yet opened many locations. This shows that coffee has always struggled to adapt to the Chinese market. However, in just 8 short years, cafes have sprung up everywhere in Guangzhou, and Yunnan coffee, once rarely mentioned, has gradually become a household topic. More and more coffee enthusiasts are even specifically seeking out Yunnan coffee beans. What earth-shaking changes have occurred in Yunnan over these past few decades?

The Golden Coffee Growing Belt

Those who have learned about coffee cultivation should have heard of the "golden coffee growing belt." As is well known, coffee is suitable for growing between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, which is why Central and South America and Africa all produce coffee. However, coffee produced between the equator and 15 degrees north latitude is too strong and bitter; only people who drink coffee without understanding its flavor would enjoy it. Actually, the best coffee should be produced between 15 degrees north latitude and the Tropic of Cancer.

As is well known, coffee is suitable for growing between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, which is why South America, Indonesia, and Africa all produce coffee. However, coffee produced between the equator and 15 degrees north latitude is too strong and has a bitter taste, so only those who drink coffee without understanding its flavor would enjoy it. In fact, the best coffee should be produced between 15 degrees north latitude and the Tropic of Cancer.

As it happens, southern Yunnan Province in China (especially near the border with Laos) and northern Hainan Island are恰好 located in this golden zone. Places like Hawaii in the United States and Saudi Arabia, although situated in this zone, lack mountains and dense fog in Hawaii's case, while Saudi Arabia's desert terrain lacks water, making it unsuitable for coffee cultivation. Therefore, the world's best coffee-producing region is actually in China.

China's Yunnan Province is located near the Tropic of Cancer and is also a region rich in specialty coffee production. Yunnan coffee is fragrant but not overpowering, rich but not bitter, making it an indispensable region for coffee connoisseurs. The main coffee-producing areas in China's Yunnan are concentrated in the western and southern parts of the province.

Major Coffee Growing Regions in Yunnan

The main coffee growing areas in China's Yunnan include: Lincang, Baoshan, Dehong, and Pu'er. Coffee beans produced in these regions have long gone abroad, reaching major coffee-consuming countries such as South Korea, Japan, the United States, and some European countries.

Dehong

The birthplace of Chinese coffee, this region has an altitude of 1,000 to 1,600 meters and features 2,000 hectares of coffee plantations. More importantly, most coffee here is grown organically, making it one of the highest quality coffees in the world.

Pu'er

The Coffee Capital. In 2012, Pu'er had a coffee planting area of 43,433 hectares, with 18,000 hectares harvested, producing 36,500 tons of coffee annually, including 24,700 tons for export. The Pu'er coffee industry has 70 registered enterprises, 30,000 households, and approximately 1 million people. Known as the "City of Tea for a Thousand Years," Pu'er is an important coffee-producing region in China with the largest planting area, highest output, best quality, and serves as an important distribution center for international coffee business.

Baoshan

Small-grain coffee is the most famous coffee from Baoshan. This coffee took its first steps in the late 1950s and quickly received positive feedback from London. At the 1980 National Coffee Conference, it was recognized as the "Nation's Best Coffee." In December 2010, Baoshan small-grain coffee received A-grade certification and went through the China National Standard Administration process, being recognized as a product reflecting China's national geographical indication.

Lincang

Lincang City is located in southwestern Yunnan Province, with the Tropic of Cancer crossing its southern part. It borders Pu'er to the east, Dali to the north, Baoshan to the west, and Myanmar to the southwest. Named for its proximity to the Lancang River, it is a shining pearl on China's southwestern border. Lincang has an average annual temperature between 16.8°C and 17.2°C, with distinct wet and dry seasons and abundant sunshine. FrontStreet Coffee took notice of this "green pearl on the border" and established its own coffee estate in Lincang—one of Yunnan's main coffee-producing regions—early in its establishment, planting the oldest Arabica variety—Typica.

The Evolution of Yunnan Coffee Varieties

Coffee enthusiasts' knowledge of Yunnan coffee mostly begins with Yunnan small-grain coffee. It should be noted that the original Yunnan small-grain coffee was the Typica variety. The coffee beans of the Typica variety are relatively small in size, hence the name "small-grain."

In the 1950s and 1960s, Yunnan began large-scale coffee cultivation. However, at that time, domestic people had little understanding of coffee, let alone consumption. Therefore, Yunnan coffee was mainly used for export to European and American countries. Due to its superior flavor and taste, Yunnan coffee gained the affection of many European and American coffee enthusiasts.

In the 1980s and 1990s, some international coffee giants entered Yunnan, making it a source of coffee for many brands. To maximize coffee yield and disease resistance, Nestlé promoted the cultivation of the Catimor variety in Yunnan. The Catimor variety has three times the yield of Typica and strong resistance to coffee leaf rust disease. Farmers only understood cultivation, not flavor, so for higher returns, they cut down the elegant Typica coffee trees and switched to planting Catimor. Today, Catimor has become the main variety of Yunnan coffee beans, and Yunnan small-grain coffee has thus transformed into the Catimor variety.

Because the Catimor variety carries Robusta genes, it inherited Robusta's strong disease resistance but also inherited the criticized flavor of Robusta. Han Huaizong once described Catimor as having a "devilish aftertaste." With the development of cultivation techniques and variety improvement, Catimor's flavor has gradually become more elegant.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan Coffee Selection

Of course, FrontStreet Coffee's bean shelf features three beans from Yunnan, providing an excellent opportunity for comparison. Yunnan Small Grain, Huaguoshan, and Frontsteet 2013.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan Small Grain is a washed Catimor, belonging to the FrontStreet Coffee daily bean series. The daily bean series exists to help coffee beginners quickly understand the terroir of each producing region, so the coffee beans in this series mostly use washed processing methods.

FrontStreet Coffee: Yunnan Small Grain Coffee Beans
Region: Yunnan Baoshan
Altitude: 1,200 meters
Variety: Catimor
Processing Method: Washed

Huaguoshan, on the other hand, is a Typica also produced in Baoshan, using the same washed processing method as Yunnan Small Grain, allowing for a more obvious comparison between Typica and Catimor. Huaguoshan has rich melon and other fruit aromas upon entry, smooth mouthfeel, nuts and milk chocolate in the middle section, lively and bright plum acidity in the finish, saliva-inducing, good balance, full-bodied, citrus-like acidity, black tea aftertaste, with some brown sugar notes.

FrontStreet Coffee: Yunnan Huaguoshan Coffee Beans
Region: Yunnan Baoshan
Altitude: 1,200 meters
Variety: Typica
Processing Method: Washed

The end of Yunnan's coffee harvest season has arrived, and FrontStreet Coffee's coffee estate in Yunnan has of course welcomed the joy of harvest. When FrontStreet Coffee first launched its own sun-dried Typica in 2021, it received support from many coffee enthusiasts, who even asked about it when it was sold out: "Where is FrontStreet Coffee's own sun-dried Typica?" Just as 2022 began, FrontStreet Coffee's sun-dried Typica was launched again. FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan sun-dried Typica has plum acidity, chocolate as the main tone, brown sugar and preserved fruit-like sweetness, with a solid mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee: Frontsteet Yunnan Sun-dried Typica Coffee Beans
Region: Yunnan Lincang
Estate: FrontStreet Coffee Estate
Altitude: 1,300 meters
Variety: Typica
Processing Method: Natural (Sun-dried)

Brewing Recommendations

When FrontStreet Coffee's baristas brew these Yunnan coffee beans, considering they are medium roasted, they use higher water temperature and finer grinding to extract more aroma and acidity from the coffee.

Brewing Parameters:
Dripper: Hario V60
Water Temperature: 91°C
Coffee Amount: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: 80% pass-through on Chinese standard #20 sieve

FrontStreet Coffee noticed that some friends don't have coffee grinding equipment at home. FrontStreet Coffee can of course provide pre-grinding options, but because coffee beans release gases more rapidly after being ground into powder, flavor compounds easily volatilize, and the optimal tasting period is therefore greatly shortened. FrontStreet Coffee suggests that friends with grinding equipment purchase whole beans and grind fresh before brewing to experience better coffee flavors.

First, pour 30g of water for blooming for 30 seconds. Then, starting from the center, pour in a thin stream and slowly spiral out to 125g. Wait until the water level in the dripper drops to just before exposing the coffee bed, then continue spiraling to pour water to 225g. The beans that FrontStreet Coffee sends to friends are freshly roasted within 5 days. Generally, you can see signs of blooming during the blooming stage. As the blooming process progresses, some carbon dioxide gas in the coffee powder is gradually released, bringing certain stability to the subsequent brewing process.

FrontStreet Coffee Estate's sun-dried Typica has strong sweetness and elegant flavor; while the Huaguoshan on the shelf has a clean and refreshing mouthfeel.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). For more specialty coffee beans, add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473