Introduction to Coffee Tree Varieties: Flavor Profile and Characteristics of Catuai Coffee - Catuai Coffee History

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As a dwarf coffee variety representing standard quality in Central America, Caturra possesses good yield potential and is highly susceptible to coffee leaf rust. Consequently, it has been widely cultivated in Central and South American countries and serves as a main contributor to coffee production in many regions. This article follows FrontStreet Coffee to explore Caturra coffee beans together.

Introduction to Caturra Coffee Variety History

Caturra is a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety. It was discovered sometime between 1915 and 1918 on a plantation in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Caturra has a single gene mutation that causes the plant to become smaller (known as dwarfing). Its name originates from the Guarani language, meaning "small." It is also known as "Nanico." After Caturra's discovery, the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC) in São Paulo, Brazil, began selection work in 1937. Breeders were interested in Caturra's small size, which allowed plants to be placed closer together, and its closely spaced secondary branches, enabling it to produce more fruit within the same space.

The selection process for Caturra is called mass selection, which means selecting a group of individuals based on their superior performance, gathering the seeds from these plants to form a new generation, and then repeating the process. This variety was never officially released in Brazil but became common in Central America.

It was introduced in Guatemala in the 1940s but did not gain widespread commercial adoption over the next 30 years. From Guatemala, it was introduced to Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama. Today, it is one of the most economically important coffees in Central America, often used as a "benchmark" for testing new varieties. In Colombia, Caturra was considered to represent nearly half of the country's production until a government-funded program launched in 2008 encouraged the renovation of over 3 billion coffee trees with the rust-resistant Castillo variety (which has Caturra lineage).

In the second half of the 20th century, Caturra contributed to the intensification of coffee cultivation to some extent through high-density planting (often in full sunlight).

Caturra is also known for being one of the parents of the so-called "Catimor" cultivar family. Various lines of the rust-resistant Timor Hybrid were crossed with Caturra to produce a dwarf plant with rust resistance. Examples of Catimor varieties include: Costa Rica 95, Catisic, Lempira, and IHCAFE 90.

Flavor and Taste Characteristics of Caturra Coffee Beans

As determined by FrontStreet Coffee's cupping, Caturra coffee beans processed using traditional methods exhibit distinct acidic aromas, overall brightness, and with proper processing, can display excellent sweetness. However, the coffee's body is relatively low compared to Bourbon, and the cleanliness of the mouthfeel is somewhat lacking.

Among the regional staple coffee beans currently sold by FrontStreet Coffee, the beans representing the Huilan region of Colombia are precisely the Caturra variety. Selected coffee beans grown at altitudes of 1500-1800m and processed using traditional washed methods, after medium roasting, the coffee flavors can exhibit nuts, dark chocolate, caramel, and soft citrus fruit acidity.

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