Catimor Coffee: Definition, Types, History and Characteristics

What is catimor coffee? 

Catimor coffee is a coffee bean varietal majorly produced in Central South America, Asia, etc. It is not a natural coffee variety but a cross-hybrid of Timor and Caturra Coffee. It is an amazing coffee variety that has a solid bitter taste mixed with a bright sour taste. This unique flavor attracts many coffee connoisseurs around the world. Generally, Catimor roasted, and unroasted coffee varieties are divided based on size, flavors, and the cultivation process. There are three types, i.e., Catimor T-8667, Catimor T-5269, and Catimor T-5175. Let’s understand them in detail.

Types of Catimor Coffee

Catimor T-8667Catimor T-8667 is a coffee variety with a short stem that produces very large fruits and seeds. 

    • Catimor T-5269

The plant of this variety is healthy and grows at 600-900m above sea level. A rainfall of more than 3000mm is also required per year to produce Catimor T-5269. 

    • Catimor T-5175

It is a high-yielding variety of catimor but can’t be produced in too low or too high levels. A perfect place in the middle suits this variety more. 

History of Catimor

Many people will be amazed to know that the catimor roasted coffee varietal was first developed in a laboratory rather than in a cultivation field. A Portuguese lab in 1959 created the Catimor variety, which is a cross of Cattura and Timor. It was basically created to protect coffee plants from rust diseases. Scientists had found a rust-resistant varietal at that time. Since then, Catimor popularity has increased on a huge scale. Nowadays, various Central American Countries have become one of the leading Catimor producers. 

Characteristics of Catimor

    • Original Catimor seeds will show a light brown color when mixed. 

    • These varietals have a bitter taste along with a lovely and slightly sour taste. 

    • From a financial point of view, these varieties are considered economical. It is because their harvesting is processed in the rainy season, and the output is not high. 

    • As we mentioned above, Catimor is rust-resistant, so one can use it for a longer period.

    • If you like roasted coffees, the perfect time to use catimor is after 72 hours of roasting. Otherwise, it can lose its aroma and gets a strong taste which becomes hard to drink. Buying catimor roasted coffee variety, considering this information in order to pick the right taste, aroma, and roasting time.