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The Origins of Yunnan Coffee and the Typica Variety: A Full Analysis of the Brewing Flavor of Arabica Coffee

May 10, 2021
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Typica is one of the oldest varieties of Arabica, standing alongside Bourbon, and its pure lineage and elegant flavor are highly sought after. The history of Yunnan coffee can be traced back to 1892, when a French missionary planted the first Typica seed in Zhukula Village, beginning the coffee legend of this land. Today, the Typica produced in Baoshan is particularly outstanding. Yunnan small-bean coffee gets its name from its small bean shape; grown in the dry-hot river valley at an altitude of about 1,100 meters, it develops a balanced acidity, rich aroma, and full-bodied taste. To experience the classic flavor, Front Street 2013 Yunnan Typica is a choice not to be missed—natural processing and medium roasting bring dried apricot-like sweet-and-tart notes, nuttiness, and brown sugar sweetness, with a long tea-like finish, suitable for pour-over, cold brew, clever dripper, and drip bags.

云南咖啡的起源与铁皮卡品种:小粒咖啡冲煮风味全解析

Typica belongs to the oldest varieties of Arabica and is as renowned as Bourbon. Its branches extend upward, and the new leaves at the tips of the tree are copper-colored, which is an important marker for identifying Typica. As a rare variety with pure lineage, Typica's coffee beans are slender and pointed, with an extremely elegant flavor and rich fruity aroma, but it has weak resistance to leaf rust and low yield. Among the producing areas in Yunnan, the Typica produced in Baoshan is widely recognized as the best in quality.

According to historical records, the origin of Yunnan coffee is related to a French missionary. In 1892, to satisfy his need for drinking coffee, he planted a coffee seed in Zhukula Village, Yunnan, and the coffee history of Yunnan began from there, and this seed was Typica. After successful cultivation, more coffee trees were bred, and Zhukula Village gradually formed a planting scale. To this day, a large number of coffee trees remain in the village, with the oldest ones over 80 years old.

Yunnan coffee belongs to the ancient Arabica varieties and is called Yunnan small-bean coffee because of its small bean shape. Yunnan coffee is mostly grown in high mountain areas at altitudes above 800 to 1,000 meters, and altitude has a significant impact on quality: too high makes it sour, too low makes it bitter. Yunnan coffee is mainly grown in the dry-hot river valley area at an altitude of about 1,100 meters, where the moderate altitude, mild climate, and ample rainfall give Yunnan coffee balanced acidity, a rich and full-bodied aroma, and a full mouthfeel.

If you want to taste the classic flavor of Yunnan small-bean Typica, Front Street 2013 Yunnan Typica is recommended. This coffee is grown at a high altitude and fully demonstrates the rich aroma of pure small-bean coffee. After natural processing and medium roasting, it presents dried apricot-like sweet-and-tart notes, nutty tones, and brown sugar sweetness, with a tea-like finish. It is suitable for pour-over, cold brew, clever dripper, drip bags, and many other methods.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.

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