The History and Story of Yunnan Coffee Cultivation and Introduction to the Flavor Characteristics of Yunnan Small Bean Coffee

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Today, you can find Yunnan coffee in almost every coffee shop. At the same time, when friends ask each other about where to find good coffee, they no longer only recommend imported coffees. Instead, they increasingly recommend domestic Yunnan coffee and Vietnamese coffee. How much do you know about China's largest coffee-growing region?

Perhaps you know about Yunnan coffee now, but that doesn't mean coffee cultivation only recently began there. In fact, Yunnan has been growing coffee for a very long time, and its region is considered a golden zone for coffee cultivation. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will share with you the history of Yunnan coffee cultivation.

The Origins of Yunnan Coffee

Following the legendary story of Ethiopian goatherd Kaldi discovering coffee, coffee was thus discovered. This means coffee originates from the tropical regions of Africa, and since the 15th century, coffee has gradually spread to all parts of the world. Currently, more than 70 countries and regions worldwide grow coffee. China is known as the land of tea, and coffee has only become popular in recent times. The history of coffee cultivation in Yunnan, China, dates back to the last century. In 1904, French missionary Alfred Tienne introduced and planted the first coffee tree in Yunnan, beginning the history of coffee cultivation in the region.

In 1892, French Father Tian successfully cultivated coffee in a place called Zhukula in Yunnan. To this day, 24 coffee trees over 90 years old still grow in Zhukula Township. Zhukula is a mysterious, legendary, and beautiful natural village belonging to Zhukula Village Committee, Pingchuan Town, Binchuan County, Dali Prefecture, located by the Yupao River, a tributary of the Jinsha River. This is a place where three regions meet: Dali Prefecture, Chuxiong Prefecture, and Lijiang City.

Over 100 years ago, Zhukula was called "Ruo Ke Lai" (in Yi language), which means "winding mountain road" in Yi. In 1892, with the arrival of French Father Tian, the essence of Yi language combined with French romanticism gave rise to the name Zhukula, which later generations translated to mean "paradise on earth."

According to reports, in 1892, French Father Tian, for his own coffee consumption needs, propagated the first coffee tree from coffee berries outside the church, then cultivated more coffee trees planted around the church. From that time on, Zhukula Village began coffee cultivation, and the village has been surrounded by coffee trees ever since. The two oldest elders in the village, Qi Guanghui and Li Fusheng, are both in their eighties this year. They have jointly witnessed the formation of China's oldest coffee forest.

Although Zhukula is poor and backward, it is a place with an inseparable connection to coffee. In addition to everyone growing coffee, villagers have a tradition of drinking coffee: self-grown, self-ground, self-brewed. Today, regardless of gender or age, everyone in the village has the habit of drinking coffee. The villagers here have a special affection for coffee trees. Even if coffee beans haven't brought them any economic benefits, the villagers are reluctant to cut down a single coffee tree.

Zhukula Village serves guests with local coffee and walnuts. Although the coffee brewed in earthen jars may not taste the best, this primitive drinking method reflects the Zhukula villagers' love for coffee and is also the highest ceremonial reception for guests. The unique and rich original ecological coffee culture makes everyone who knows Zhukula sigh in admiration - this place truly deserves to be called "China's First Coffee Village." The Zhukula coffee forest belongs to Arabica beans, specifically Yunnan small-bean Bourbon and Typica varieties.

Yunnan Coffee Growing Environment

Yunnan's geographical environment is excellent, which is why Pu'er tea is so famous. But currently, Yunnan's most famous product is no longer tea, but coffee. Coffee is an agricultural crop with very high requirements for its growing environment. Yunnan is located in mountainous terrain, high in the northwest and low in the southeast. In the western region, the height from mountain peaks to river valleys can reach up to 3,000 meters. Yunnan Province's natural resources are extremely abundant, making it the region with the most plant species in China.

The western and southern parts of Yunnan Province are located between 15°N latitude and the Tropic of Cancer. Most areas have an altitude of 1,000-2,000 meters, with mountainous and sloped terrain dominating, making it a golden zone for coffee cultivation. FrontStreet Coffee believes that it is precisely because of the fertile soil, sufficient sunlight, abundant rainfall, and large temperature differences between day and night that these unique natural conditions have created the flavor profile of Yunnan small-bean coffee - rich without being bitter, fragrant without being strong, with a slight fruity flavor. Its taste and texture are similar to Colombian coffee, but now, have you noticed that FrontStreet Coffee thinks Yunnan small-bean coffee tastes somewhat like Mandheling coffee? Could it be because they are both Asian beans?

Yunnan Coffee Growing Regions

Yunnan coffee cultivation areas are mainly distributed in Lincang, Baoshan, Simao, Xishuangbanna, Dehong, and other regions. Baoshan, Yunnan is the most important cultivation area for Yunnan small-bean coffee. Baoshan's average temperature is 21.5°C, with highs reaching up to 40.4°C, and is basically frost-free year-round, making it recognized as the best small-bean coffee production area. FrontStreet Coffee's daily bean Yunnan small-bean coffee comes from the Baoshan region.

Dehong

The coffee cultivation altitude in Dehong Prefecture is all above 1,000 meters, with 30,000 acres planted on mountainous areas above 1,600 meters. Additionally, Dehong Prefecture mainly uses organic fertilizers and organic pesticides for coffee cultivation, resulting in higher coffee quality, making it one of the world's rare high-quality coffee production areas, earning it the beautiful title "Hometown of Chinese Coffee."

Baoshan

Baoshan is the most important cultivation area for Yunnan small-bean coffee. Coffee cultivation in Baoshan began in the mid-1950s, with the first coffee seedling introduced from Southeast Asia by the late patriotic overseas Chinese Mr. Liang Jinshan. In recent years, with the expansion of international trade, the small-bean coffee from Lujiang Dam has become renowned. European, American, and Arab countries, especially Britain, America, Egypt, Hong Kong, and Macau merchants, all regard it as premium coffee, with products in short supply. In December 2010, after review by China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, it was decided to implement national geographical indication product protection for "Baoshan small-bean coffee."

"Rich without being bitter, fragrant without being strong, with mellow aroma; rich in oil, with strong fruit acidity and persistent aftertaste; this is truly premium coffee among coffees." This is the evaluation of Baoshan small-bean coffee from cupping assessments by domestic and international coffee experts. Baoshan's Lujiang Dam has a unique dry-hot valley climate in Yunnan Province, with an average annual temperature of 21.3°C, with frost on the mountains, making it very suitable for growing Arabica varieties. However, most of what is currently planted are Catimor varieties. FrontStreet Coffee's daily bean Yunnan small-bean coffee comes from the Baoshan region.

Lincang

Lincang is located in the southwestern part of Yunnan Province, with the Tropic of Cancer crossing its southern part. Lincang borders Pu'er to the east, Dali to the north, and connects with Baoshan to the west, sharing a border with Myanmar to the southwest. It is named for its proximity to the Lancang River and is a brilliant pearl on China's southwestern border. Lincang's average annual temperature ranges between 16.8°C-17.2°C, with distinct wet and dry seasons and sufficient sunlight. The unique geographical location and climate conditions have made Lincang a focus of attention for many coffee companies, which have successively established 200-acre and 100-acre high-quality coffee seedling bases in Mengding Town, Gengma Autonomous County, and Xingfu Farm in Lincang City, respectively, carrying out coffee cultivation in Gengma, Zhenkang, Yun County, Cangyuan, and Yongde.

FrontStreet Coffee has established its own estate in the Lincang region of Yunnan. Then in 2021, FrontStreet Coffee produced its first self-produced coffee bean - FrontStreet Coffee 2013 Natural Process Typica Coffee.

Pu'er

The tea region of Pu'er has a 150-year history of coffee cultivation. In the early 1990s, Pu'er City began to cultivate coffee development as an advantageous backbone industry for adjusting industrial structure and helping farmers increase income and become prosperous.

Yunnan Coffee Bean Varieties

Yunnan small-bean coffee initially started with Arabica varieties, but due to leaf rust disease affecting coffee-producing countries worldwide, with the assistance of international organizations, various producing countries vigorously promoted Catimor to resist leaf rust disease and increase production capacity. Catimor coffee beans are a combination of Arabica and Robusta species. Robusta has good leaf rust resistance and rich oil content, high yield, and is easy to cultivate. After hybridizing with Arabica Typica, Catimor acquired 25% Robusta genes, which improved its leaf rust resistance while retaining rich oil content and also gaining some of the rich flavor of the original Typica variety. Therefore, almost all Yunnan small-bean coffee on the market today is of the Catimor variety, with very little Typica cultivation.

Typica Coffee Beans: The most classic premium Arabica variety, from which many commercial improved varieties originate. Typica coffee beans have excellent flavor characteristics and are recognized as a specialty coffee variety, but they have extremely low yields and are susceptible to rust disease, requiring more human management. Typica coffee beans originate from Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan and are 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. The top leaves of Typica are bronze-colored, called red-top coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Estate grows Typica variety coffee beans, specifically FrontStreet Coffee 2013 Natural Process Typica Coffee.

Bourbon Coffee Beans: This variety originates from Typica coffee beans and was expanded after being planted by the French in 1708 on Bourbon Island (now Réunion Island). Bourbon also has wonderful aroma and rich flavor, with higher yield and growth vigor than Typica, suitable for cultivation in areas of 1200-2000 meters altitude, but has weaker disease and pest resistance and is more sensitive to strong winds and heavy rainfall. Bourbon coffee is the second most important variety after Typica among small-bean coffees. The main branches initially grow upward at a 45-degree angle to the trunk, drooping as fruit loads increase. The lateral branch nodes are denser, with more fruit and higher yields. However, the berries are smaller and mature more slowly.

Catimor Coffee Beans: Catimor is not pure Arabica bloodline; it is a hybrid of Timor (belonging to Robusta species) and Caturra (a Bourbon variety), so Catimor has 25% Robusta bloodline, and its Robusta bloodline also determines its flavor defects: insufficient aroma, overall bitter taste, prone to astringency and relatively stimulating musty flavors. FrontStreet Coffee's daily bean Yunnan small-bean coffee is of the Catimor variety.

Yunnan Coffee Bean Processing Methods

Yunnan's coffee beans also use washed processing methods, but there are also natural processing methods. However, FrontStreet Coffee believes that washed processing better highlights the local coffee flavor and best represents the original taste of coffee. Therefore, almost all of FrontStreet Coffee's daily beans are washed processed. For Yunnan coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee has natural Yunnan Catimor coffee, FrontStreet Coffee 2013 Natural Process Typica Coffee, and washed Yunnan small-bean coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations:

Some people might ask how to brew Yunnan coffee to bring out its flavors. For coffee brewing, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using freshly roasted coffee beans for brewing, as this allows you to experience the rich flavors of coffee to the greatest extent. The coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are all roasted within 5 days, because FrontStreet Coffee deeply understands that coffee bean freshness has a great impact on flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly Roasted Good Coffee," ensuring that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee when it arrives. The coffee's degassing period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive it, it's at its peak flavor.

Of course, some customers need FrontStreet Coffee to grind the beans for them, which is also fine. However, FrontStreet Coffee reminds you that once coffee beans are ground in advance, they need to be brewed promptly. If already ground into coffee powder, there's no need for further degassing, because during transportation, the pressure from carbon dioxide buildup in the package also helps round out the coffee flavor, so you can brew a cup immediately upon receiving the coffee powder. Since coffee powder oxidizes quickly when exposed to air, meaning the coffee's flavor will dissipate relatively quickly, the coffee flavor won't be as good. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends buying whole beans and grinding fresh before brewing to better appreciate the coffee's flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee Brewing Parameters:

Filter: Kono dripper
Water Temperature: 88°C
Dose: 15 grams
Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Fine sugar granularity (Chinese standard #20 sieve 75% pass-through)

Using segmented extraction, bloom with 2 times the coffee weight in water, i.e., 30g water for 30 seconds. Starting from 31 seconds, continue pouring with a small circular stream to 125g, then continue pouring to 225g and stop. Wait until the water in the dripper finishes dripping, then remove the dripper. Time from the start of pouring, extraction time is 2'00". Next, pick up the entire coffee pot, shake it evenly, then pour into cups for tasting.

Washed Yunnan Small-Bean Coffee Flavor: Aromas of nuts, with herbal, chocolate, and caramel notes on entry, and a finish with light fruit acidity.

Yunnan Natural Process Typica Coffee Flavor: Nutty notes, with a more solid mouthfeel than washed Yunnan coffee, slightly lower acidity than washed Typica Yunnan coffee, but with slightly more sweetness and better balance. Berry-like acidity, mixed with brown sugar and a slight tea sensation.

Natural Process Catimor Brewing Flavor Description: Entry with red berry juice sensation, nuts, cocoa, and licorice aromas, with caramel-like sweetness in the aftertaste, rich, solid, and smooth mouthfeel.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473