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Catuai Coffee Variety in Central America: Origins, Traits and Red vs Yellow

May 14, 2016
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What makes the Catuai coffee variety different?

Catuai is a hybrid of Caturra and Mundo Novo, first bred in Brazil and now grown widely across Central America. The plant stays short and its fruit clings firmly to the branches, which makes picking harder. Red and yellow fruit types both exist. Cupping suggests yellow fruit can show decent acidity but often trails red fruit in cleanliness.

Its main advantage is tolerance of wind and heavy rain, which suits regions with variable weather. On the Front Street bean list, Catuai appears in lots such as Panama Elida Estate Catuai, Honduras Sherry and Costa Rica Musician Series Mozart. The coffee tree's compact shape allows denser spacing, though the tight fruit attachment raises harvesting labor.

Catuai is a rather distinctive variety in the coffee world, developed through artificial hybridization of Caturra and Mundo Novo. It first originated in Brazil and is now widely cultivated throughout Central America. It is naturally endowed with strong resistance to wind and rain, making it especially suitable for regions with variable climates. The plant is relatively short, the fruit adheres firmly to the branches, making harvesting difficult, and it exists in both red and yellow fruit types. Regarding the flavor differences between red and yellow fruits, cupping experience shows that although yellow fruits may show acceptable acidity, their cleanliness often falls short of red fruits. Front Street Coffee's bean list also includes several Catuai variety coffees, and this article will give you a comprehensive understanding of this variety's origins and flavor performance.

The Catuai coffee variety is the result of artificial hybridization between Caturra and Mundo Novo. It performs relatively well in resisting natural disasters, particularly possessing good resistance against strong winds and rainfall.

This variety was first cultivated in Brazil, and today it is also extensively planted in Central America. On Front Street Coffee's bean list, there are several coffees that include Catuai, such as Front Street Panama Elida Estate Catuai, Front Street Honduras Sherry, and Front Street Costa Rica Musician Series Mozart.

In terms of tree shape, Catuai plants are relatively short. Compared to other coffee tree species, its fruit attaches more firmly to the branches, which means harvesting requires more effort. The fruit colors come in red and yellow. Based on current knowledge, there is no evidence that yellow fruits necessarily have better flavor than red fruits. On the contrary, some cupping results indicate that although certain coffees processed from yellow fruits can exhibit good acidity, their cleanliness in taste is not as ideal as red fruits. (This article is reprinted)

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

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