CHINESE COFFEE: IS THIS THE NEXT BIG SPECIALTY COFFEE ORIGIN?

China isn’t one of the big players on the coffee scene, but there’s quality offerings flying under the radar.

Do you like to be updated about the latest and upcoming trends in the coffee industry? Then keep reading because I think China could easily be the next big thing in specialty coffee. Beans from the region of Yunnan are making waves thanks to sweet, fruity flavors and a unique creamy mouthfeel.

In this article, I have everything you need to know about China’s emerging specialty coffee market, including three great coffees to try. Act now to stay ahead of the curve!

The 3 Best Coffees from China in 2026

Chinese coffee has improved dramatically in recent years, to the point where some of it deserves to join this list of world’s finest beans. That said, premium beans from the country are still relatively rare.

After extensive searching and taste testing, I’ve picked out three great options to give you a taste of the region. Each has a unique character, but you can count on sweet fruit flavors and a rich body in all cases. Hopefully, these Chinese coffees won’t lead to any heated arguments, unlike the ones in the Jerry Orbach and Al Pacino film.

image	product	details
Best Overall Best Overall	Baba Java China-Yunnan Coffee	Dark Chocolate, Blood Orange Pour Over Whole bean	CHECK PRICE
Best For Espresso Best For Espresso	Rabbit Hole Foret Noir	Roasted Marshmallow, Chocolate, Black Cherry Espresso, Moka Pot, French Press Ground and whole bean	CHECK PRICE
Best For Filter Coffee Best For Filter Coffee	McNulty’s China Yunnan	Black Tea, Dark Chocolate, Dried Cherries Pour Over, Drip Coffee Machine Ground and whole bean	CHECK PRICE

Here are four great options for you to try. With different roast levels, each has its own unique character. But you can count on sweet fruit flavors and a rich body in all cases.

Best Overall

1. Baba Java China-Yunnan Coffee

• Tasting notes: Dark Chocolate, Blood orange

• Best for: Pour Over
• Whole bean

SEE ON AMAZON

Based in Hoover, AL, Baba Java Coffee is raising the standard of excellence in specialty coffee blends and single origins. Their Chinese medium roast coffee is one of nine single-origin offerings. The beans were grown in the fertile highlands of China’s Yunnan province, once a key part of the Southern Silk Road trading network. 

A cup made from these beans is rich and complex, and I enjoyed how its sweet fruit flavors and slight acidity were balanced by dark chocolate depth. I suggest brewing this one with a V60 or Chemex to showcase its remarkable clarity, but it also makes a surprisingly vibrant espresso. This versatility is why I picked it as my overall favorite coffee from China.

Best For Espresso

2. Rabbit Hole Foret Noir

• Tasting notes: Roasted Marshmallow, Chocolate, Black Cherry

• Best for: Espresso, Moka Pot, French Press
• Ground and whole bean

SEE ON RABBIT HOLE ROASTERS

Our favorite Chinese dark roast is another option from Rabbit Hole Roasters, which is no surprise as they are certainly at the forefront of Chinese specialty coffee. This one also comes from Yunnan, but the slightly higher elevation Menglian region of the province.

This coffee is of the Catimor varietal, the most popular varietal in China, but its growing and processing conditions, paired with a very dark roast, give it a distinct character that stood out among many others I tried.

It was the richest and most full-bodied coffee that I tasted, with bold flavors and a muted acidity. I noted dark chocolate, toasted marshmallow, and a hint of black cherry. Its creamy mouthfeel and natural sweetness, common traits of many Yunnan coffees, make for an incredible espresso, latte, or French press brew.

Best For Filter Coffee

3. McNulty’s China Yunnan

• Tasting notes: Black Tea, Dark Chocolate, Dried Cherries

• Best for: Pour Over, Drip Coffee Machine
• Ground or whole bean

SEE ON MCNULTY’S

McNulty’s China Yunnan coffee shares many characteristics with the others on this list, showcasing a lovely natural sweetness, rich body, and creamy mouthfeel. I felt it had a bit more complexity than the others, making it a particularly nice choice for a filter brew.

Notes of black tea and dark chocolate carried a subtle bitterness that was perfectly balanced by the sweetness of dried cherries and a hint of hazelnut, and I detected a bright, fruity aroma. Brewing it with a V60 or Kalita Wave really allowed these subtleties to shine.

Coffee in China: An Overview

China isn’t just an emerging coffee grower; it’s also an emerging coffee consumer. Until recently, China had one of the lowest coffee consumption rates on Earth, averaging just one cup per person yearly! 

That is changing fast. Rates are growing at 30% a year, compared with the global average of 2%. With China’s population of well over a billion people, that means a lot of coffee consumption and the potential for big business.

Until 2012, people in China consumed almost exclusively instant coffee, but citizens now increasingly opt for higher-quality ground coffee. Second-wave coffee companies were quick to take note. Starbucks, Costa Coffee, and the Chinese brand Luckin Coffee are all driving further changes (and reaping huge profits).

Starbucks opened its first Chinese store in 1999, and UK-based Costa Coffee came to the country in 2006. However, both have struggled to compete with the domestic brand Luckin Coffee. 

Luckin was founded in Beijing in 2017 and began opening stores at an incredible pace, a rate of one every 15 hours (1)! Luckin focuses on smaller stores, more advanced technology, and faster service — all designed to cater to the younger generation.

No matter which chain reigns supreme, it’s clear that the Chinese coffee market is open for business (2).

Growing Specialty Coffee in China

The second-wave coffee market in China is firmly established, but what about third-wave specialty coffee? If you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance you’re interested in these higher-end crops. So you’ll be happy to hear that southern China is potentially one of the great untapped growing regions. 

It’s still an up-and-coming region, so quality isn’t always guaranteed. Understanding more about the country’s fledgling specialty coffee industry can help you be a discerning consumer when it comes to tracking down the best Chinese coffee.

The History

China began growing coffee commercially in 1988, and the industry has been expanding precociously ever since. Coffee production in China grew by over 40% in the following two decades, and in 2023 China produced 160,000 tons of coffee, about 0.06% of the global supply (3). So far, not much is specialty grade, but that sector is expanding rapidly as farmers gain experience and skills.

What’s driving that growth?

In the last decade, organizations like the Specialty Coffee Association and the Coffee Quality Institute have opened coffee schools and advising farmers on best practices for growing and processing in the interest of increasing the quality of China’s coffee market. Farmers are keen students, enticed by the possibility of earning far more per pound for higher-quality beans.

In the early days, Chinese producers used Yunnan coffee as a component in blends, but as coffee from the region is really coming into its own, it is becoming a worthwhile single-origin coffee. The region already has some distinct flavor profiles for which it is becoming known.

Are Chinese coffee beans good?

Some coffees are now consistently cupping at 85+, well over the standard for specialty coffee, and most importantly, farmers can produce these spectacular coffees reliably (4).

This is a sure sign of bigger things to come in the future of China’s coffee market.

Growing Regions

The main growing regions in China are Yunnan, Fujian, and Hainan Island. Yunnan accounts for about 95% of the country’s coffee beans and is the only area growing high-end Arabica beans destined for specialty coffee lovers.

Is Yunnan coffee Robusta or Arabica?

The most common varietal grown in Yunnan is Catimor, an Aranbica hybrid of Timor and Caturra that includes a bit of Robusta in its genetic makeup. Thanks to the Robusta genes, Catimor is a high-yielding and hardy variety with good resistance to leaf rust.

Leaf rust is a primary concern for Chinese growers and has thwarted the introduction of more famous Arabica varietals like Typica and Bourbon.

In many regions, Catimor is considered a lower-quality varietal, thanks to its Robusta heritage, but so far, that appears not to be the case in China. The unique growing conditions in the area yield Catimor beans that are every bit as delicious and high scoring as Arabica beans worldwide.

There are several different growing regions within Yunnan, all located in the southern half of the state. The most prominent of these is Pu’er Province, which yields about half the country’s total production.

Flavor Profiles And Processing Methods

The vast majority of coffee grown in Yunnan is a particularly impressive version of the Catimor varietal. 

They have notes of pomegranate, pear, pineapple, and quince in the lighter roasts and darker red fruit like black cherries in the darker roasts. They tend to be more sweet than acidic, with notes of honey and brown sugar. 

The beans are relatively mild in flavor, which makes them valuable additions to blends and delicious single origins. Yunnan coffees are renowned for their unusually creamy mouthfeel, even the lighter roasts, with tasters frequently noting “strawberries and cream” as a tasting note. How delicious does that sound?

Processing methods vary in China, with washed, natural, and honey processing all being used. Washed coffees from the region tend to have very clean flavors, with a mild sweetness, whereas the naturals have a more pronounced syrupy sweetness. Both are delicious in their own right.

The Verdict

So far, only a few roasters are taking advantage of the latest crops of specialty beans from China, but they’re delivering some incredible coffees that are well worth seeking out.

My favorite coffee this year is the China-Yunnan from Baba Java. I can’t get enough of its perfectly balanced flavor profile of dark chocolate and zest orange, whether dripper through my V60 or pulled through my espresso machine. 

I expect to see bigger and better things from the region soon, and I can’t wait!

SEE ON AMAZON