Yunnan Specialty Coffee Establishes Professional Research Institution

To advance the specialty coffee industry in Yunnan Province and raise coffee farmers' incomes, the "Yunnan Specialty Coffee Association" - two years in preparation and operating under the guidance of the Yunnan Association for Science and Technology - was officially founded last Sunday.

The Yunnan Specialty Coffee Association is a local academic organization formed voluntarily by enterprises, institutions, and individuals across the province working in coffee research, cultivation, primary processing, further processing, and coffee education. Once operational, it will dedicate itself to studying high-quality coffee "from seed to cup" and to the sustainable development of outstanding coffees, while offering a shared platform for coffee growers, roasters, professional barista training, and coffee traders. Its agenda includes building up China's coffee cultivation resource library, breeding and promoting superior varieties, establishing quality standards for specialty coffee, and safeguarding the rights and interests of coffee farmers.

According to organizers, the founding conference ran alongside several companion events: China's First Specialty Coffee Symposium, Yunnan's First International Coffee Cupping Competition, and the China Siphon Coffee Maker Competition (Yunnan Division). Coffee experts, industry associations, and research institutions took part from Colombia, Italy, the United States, Germany, and South Korea, as well as from the Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao regions. The finals of the China Siphon Coffee Making Competition Yunnan Division are scheduled for May 1st in Dali.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For readers curious about what Yunnan's coffee scene actually tastes like, "small bean" is simply another name for Arabica - the species with the smallest cherries of the three commercial coffee species - and it traces back to 1904, when the French missionary Tian Deneng carried Typica seeds from Vietnam into Yunnan and planted the first tree in Zhukula Village, Binchuan County. Thanks to Yunnan's favorable geography and climate, small-bean coffee took root and thrived. FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan small-bean lot comes from the Baoshan region, washed and medium-roasted, showing soft nut and chocolate sweetness with a light plum acidity - an affordable first taste of Yunnan coffee.

If Yunnan's small-bean opens the door, FrontStreet Coffee's 2013 sun-dried Typica is the step further in. In 2013, FrontStreet Coffee planted its own estate with Typica - one of the oldest coffee varieties, carrying pure Arabica genetics long recognized for its elegant, clean cup - hoping to recapture the original regional character of Yunnan's very first trees. Made only from fully ripe, all-red cherries and finished with sun-drying and a medium roast, it balances the cup and brings out the sweetness: dark berry tones, caramel, chocolate, a hint of dried apricot, and a black-tea finish.

And if you want Yunnan flavor in espresso form, look for the FrontStreet Coffee Black Cocoa Blend recommended by many baristas - a pairing of Yunnan small-bean with Brazilian Cerrado. The Brazil side supplies mixed-nut aroma and a balanced body, while the Yunnan side contributes chocolate and citrus character. As an Americano it balances sweet, sour, and bitter with nutty, brown-sugar sweetness; as a latte it offers the smoothness of almond and cream. It is an ideal choice for beginners.