Coffee varietals: Catuai varietal

Descended from Caturra

Descendent varietals: Red Catuai

Quality: Good

Yield: Moderate

Disease resistance: Susceptible

Created by the Instituto Agronomico do Campinas in Brasil, Catuai is a hybrid varietal between Caturra and Mundo Novo.

The name comes from the indigenous Tupi-Guarani language in Brazil, meaning “very good”.

The cultivar was created by Instituto Agronômico (IAC, Brazil) in 1949 from a crossing of yellow Caturra and Mundo Novo. The Catuai variety was finally released in Brazil (where it is most popular) in 1972 after pedigree selection (isolation of individual plants through successive generations).

In Brazil, multiple lines of Catuai are available; some are notable for their high productivity.

Fun fact: a similar variety called Garnica was developed by the Mexican Coffee Institute (INMECAFÉ) in 1960-61, through the crossing of the same varieties. Unfortunately, INMECAFÉ was dissolved in 1989 before pedigree selections were completed and, while some private producers may have kept some of those plants, the descendants are difficult to trace. (Source: World Coffee Research)

It is a high-yielding plant that can be planted in high density, it makes up almost 50% of Brazil’s coffee production.

Coffees featuring Catuai (and descendents)

All varietals