Today, the Arabica species accounts for 70% of the world's total coffee production, and most of the Arabica species evolved from two ancient varieties, Typica and Bourbon, after they spread to various places. So today, let’s briefly talk about one of the two ancient varieties, “Tiepica”, and the chronicle of its spread from Ethiopia to the present day!
Typica, like many native species, comes from the African continent of Ethiopia. The pictures of our common Arabica bean species all use Typica as an example! Flat, plump, slender, and a standard oval shape, this is the classic appearance of Typica! And its first stop out of the country is Yemen, which is located on the other side of the sea!
(The picture shows the transmission path of Typica)
Coffee was first introduced to Yemen mainly as a medicinal treatment, not as a daily drink! It was not until 1500 that a sudden trend emerged in the ports of Aden and Mocha in Yemen: mashing the dried coffee pulp and soaking it in water to drink. With this start, the drug suddenly became a popular drink. It became popular all over the country, so people began to export coffee beans to various countries to promote and sell them!
But before exporting, people in Yemen will roast or boil the coffee beans in advance, causing the coffee beans to lose their reproductive ability and prevent the coffee beans from flowing into foreign countries. This is why for hundreds of years from the 15th to the 18th century, the world's coffee trade was monopolized by Yemen, not only because it was a port city, but also because coffee was only available in Yemen!
It was not until 1670 that Baba Budan, a devout believer in Islam, became obsessed with coffee and wanted to have a good drink after returning to his country. However, there was no output in his country and Yemen did not provide beans. So, when it was preparing to return to India after the pilgrimage, it stole seven coffee seeds, hid them in its beard to hide them from others, and then successfully brought them back to India, and planted them in the Gandrogiri Mountains of Karnataka Province in southwestern India and successfully multiplied them. In order to commemorate his contribution, later generations renamed this mountain Baba Budan Mountain!
Let's go back to an earlier time. Coffee was introduced to Europe via Yemen, and there was a wave of craze. At this time, the Dutch, known as the "Sea Coachman", sniffed out huge business opportunities.
Therefore, when they occupied the southwestern region of India in the early seventeenth century, they used force to seize the Typica tree species stolen from Yemen and planted them on the Indonesian island of Java. They were an immediate success and started Indonesia's coffee industry! Then, they transplanted a Typica plant planted in Java in 1706 back to the Netherlands for cultivation.
This Typica came to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where the Dutch built a large greenhouse for it to give it a comfortable growing space, and it was cared for by botanists. Unexpectedly, the offspring produced by this Typica plant spread to Central and South America, and this Typica plant was called the "European mother plant" by future generations.
In 1708, France failed to plant coffee trees stolen from Mocha. Therefore, the mayor of Amsterdam saw the opportunity and presented a Typica sapling to King Louis XIV of France in 1714. They imitated the Netherlands and built a greenhouse for Typica to take good care of.
In 1720, French naval officer Ducroux stole a Typica sapling from the Palace of Versailles and shipped it to the Americas. After three years, it finally arrived at the French island of Martinique in the Caribbean. The coffee industry on the island has begun!
The offspring produced by this sapling were scattered to various other islands, including the island country that produced the "Coffee Emperor" Front Street Blue Mountain-Jamaica.
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In 1727, a territorial dispute broke out between the Dutch territory of Suriname and the French territory of Guyana. Brazilian diplomat Pacita received a reward for his role in mediation. Among the rewards given to him by the wife of the Governor of French Guyana was the Typica sapling.
So Diplomat Pacita resigned from his post, brought coffee seedlings back to Brazil, and planted them in the northern province of Pará, officially starting Brazil's coffee industry! Subsequently, Brazil also distributed the seeds produced by this Typica plant to Paraguay, Peru and other countries.
Countries such as Colombia, Guatemala, and Costa Rica all introduced Typica tree species for planting around the 18th century. At the end of the 19th century, the French missionary Tian Deneng brought Typica tree species to Zhugula Village in Yunnan Province, my country. Although it was not planted on a large scale in a short period of time, it also laid a small "foreshadowing" for my country's coffee industry.
It can be seen that when we taste Typica coffee, we can start from several representative production areas: to buy high-end brand Typica coffee, buy Front Street Blue Mountain No. 1, which will allow you to feel the sweetness, sourness, bitterness and sweetness blooming in your mouth;
If you want a good-tasting and cost-effective Tipica, the first choice is the Front Street PNG Bird of Paradise, which features the aroma of nuts and toast and a very balanced taste, making it very suitable for novices. If you want to taste the coffee produced in my country, we recommend the Front Street 2013 Yunnan Small Grain Sun-dried Tipica. This variety will bring a clean and quiet tone, and the flavor of brown sugar, chocolate, and dried apricots is pleasant.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
