A Brief Introduction to Yunnan Typica Coffee Beans: Grind Settings, Roast Levels, and Processing Methods

FrontStreet Coffee · Introduction to Yunnan Coffee Varieties: Catimor and Typica Coffee Bean Cultivation

Before going there, Brother Zou told me that his relative's family still had a plot of old variety coffee trees. I rushed over excitedly, only to find a patch of wildly growing coffee trees. This land belonged to his aunt, who, due to her advanced age, didn't have the strength to renovate and replant. That's why these old varieties survived, but his aunt alone couldn't manage them properly, so she let the trees grow naturally, only picking some fruits when they ripened.

Classic Coffee Varieties in Yunnan

Typica and Bourbon, two classic premium coffee varieties, are the main cultivated varieties in Yunnan. In 1991, the Catimor series was introduced from Kenya (stronger virus resistance and higher yield). They belong to the Arabica species (also known as small-seeded variety). Due to the similar morphology and habits of these two varieties, they are often mixed in cultivation.

Typica Coffee

Typica coffee originated in southeastern Ethiopia and Sudan, and is the most widely cultivated coffee variety in the Western Hemisphere. The plants are relatively robust but not tolerant to strong sunlight, with higher yields in Hawaii. The top leaves of Typica are reddish-bronze, giving it the name "red-topped coffee."

Bourbon Coffee

Bourbon coffee is the second most important variety after Typica among small-seeded coffees. The main branches initially grow upward at a 45-degree angle to the main trunk, then droop as the fruit load increases. The side branch nodes are denser, producing more fruit with higher yields. However, the berries are smaller and mature slower. The top buds and young leaves of Bourbon are green, giving it the name "green-topped coffee."

Catimor Coffee Beans

Catimor: Catimor is not purely of Arabica bloodline; it is a hybrid between Timor (which belongs to the Robusta species) and Caturra (a Bourbon variety). Therefore, Catimor has 25% Robusta bloodline, and its Robusta heritage determines its flavor defects: insufficient aroma richness, prominent bitterness, and tendency to develop astringency and relatively pungent musty flavors.

All coffee planted in the Pu'er region of Yunnan is of the Catimor variety. Baoshan City introduced Typica and Bourbon varieties as early as the 1950s, which locals call "old varieties." Because old varieties have lower disease and pest resistance and yield, and are more labor-intensive to manage, coupled with the lack of significant price advantages in market purchases, coffee farmers have recently switched to planting the new Catimor variety.

From the botanical perspective of coffee, Yunnan small-seeded coffee shares genetic similarities with the world-renowned Jamaica Blue Mountain and Hawaii Kona coffees.

Characteristics of Yunnan Coffee

Yunnan coffee, thanks to its unique geographical environment and climate conditions, has developed a distinctive flavor profile that is rich but not bitter, aromatic but not overpowering, with a hint of fruitiness. World-class coffee experts have evaluated it as among the finest coffees globally, with its cultivation techniques and yield per unit also being world-class.

Yunnan coffee belongs to the variant of the Arabica species, formed through long-term cultivation and domestication, generally called Yunnan small-seeded coffee. It is an evergreen small shrub with smaller beans, thicker fruit skin, sweet pulp, and aromatic products with lower caffeine content, hence also called "mild coffee." It is one of the world's main cultivated varieties.

Growing Conditions and Processing

Coffee quality is determined by various factors including growing environment, climate, and cultivation management techniques. Its optimal growing environment is characterized by low latitude, high altitude, sufficient rainfall, and appropriate sunlight. Therefore, the region between 15°N latitude and the Tropic of Cancer is the ideal growing zone for coffee.

Our company's planting base in Yunnan is located at 23°N latitude and 99°E longitude, with altitudes ranging from 1,230 to 1,540 meters above sea level, a difference of 310 meters. The terrain is mainly mountainous and sloped with significant variations, fertile soil, abundant sunlight, plentiful rainfall, and large temperature differences between day and night. These unique natural conditions create the special taste profile of Yunnan coffee—rich but not bitter, aromatic but not overpowering, with a slight fruitiness, with quality comparable to Colombian small-seeded coffee.

Coffee cherries are generally harvested from November to February each year and processed using the wet washing method. Coffee processing uses advanced imported equipment. Currently, 30% of Yunnan coffee products supply the domestic market, while 70% are exported abroad.

Seeking Old Varieties

Later, I went to Zhang Bao's younger brother's village on another high mountain. The nearby several mountain peaks are all their village's coffee gardens, but the entire village currently has only two mu of old varieties remaining. Fortunately, this family managed them well, so they still look very healthy and were still in the harvesting period, allowing me to see well-ripened red coffee fruits.

After discussing with the owner, we decided to buy back 10 kilograms of green beans to taste. The fruits picked at the end of last year were still stored in the warehouse in parchment form. Early the next morning, we went together to hull and process them. After hulling, we got 18.5 kilograms of green beans of varying sizes, with many broken beans, small beans, and defective beans. Even after sorting by size, there were still many defective beans, so we manually sorted them on the spot. After final selection, only 9 kilograms of qualified beans remained. By then, most of the morning had passed.

Of course, if used for instant coffee or general commercial beans, high-yield Catimor is a good choice. But if seeking Yunnan's specialty coffee, the old variety Typica becomes the first choice due to its inherently superior genetics. Therefore, during this trip to Yunnan, I followed the traces of old varieties throughout the journey. However, the reality proved to be quite harsh.

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