Yemen Coffee Beans Yemen Coffee History Story How to Drink Yemen Coffee?

Ancient Coffee Heritage

Yemen, located in Western Asia, is just a stone's throw away from the African continent. Without the promotion of coffee by Islamic clerics on the Arabian Peninsula, coffee might still be a wild plant in Ethiopia today. According to legend, coffee was introduced during the sixth century when Ethiopia ruled the region, and it was named "Qahwa," meaning "red wine" in Arabic. Later, the Ottoman Empire invaded in 1536 and controlled the coffee trade. To ensure export revenue, authorities strictly prohibited the export of raw beans, requiring seeds to be boiled in hot water before leaving the country.

One of the World's Most Arid Countries

Yemen is one of the most arid countries globally. Economically, the country currently relies on oil exports for three-quarters of its income, but the World Bank predicts that its reserves will be depleted around 2017. This once self-sufficient agricultural nation now imports 80% of its agricultural crops. Reasons include population growth and water scarcity caused by the local over-cultivation of "Qat" (also known as khat or Arabian tea), a crop with historical roots as ancient as coffee.

Qat is a commonly used social drug among residents of the Arabian Peninsula. Yemeni people like to host guests in dedicated rooms at home, chewing qat while chatting with friends. It contains the stimulant cathinone, with effects similar to mild amphetamines, providing mental stimulation and alertness. However, when the effects wear off, users experience depression. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has not classified it as a narcotic, many Western countries have banned its import.

On the other hand, Yemen has long been troubled by drought. Its major cities rely on groundwater sources, with agriculture consuming 90% of drinking water, and qat cultivation alone consumes significant water resources. Authorities predict that underground water reserves in the capital Sana'a will be exhausted by 2017. Most Yemeni cities are built on mountains, with residents depending on government or private wells for survival. The country has between 40,000 to 70,000 wells, some reaching depths of 600 meters underground. Additionally, pumping water uphill is costly, with the government spending up to $7 billion annually on drilling and water pumping. Therefore, in recent years, local authorities have decided to ban qat, which both wastes water resources and cannot satisfy hunger, replacing it with other crops. Coinciding with the rise of specialty coffee trends, the Yemeni government is now actively encouraging farmers to switch to coffee, which consumes half the water of qat.

Traditional Production Methods

Authentic Yemeni coffee is quite rare. Farmers wait for the fruits to ripen on the trees before harvesting them by hand, then dry them on the rooftops of stone houses built along mountainsides. The pulping and hulling processes rely entirely on simple stone grinding equipment. Due to poor transportation, coffee typically changes hands several times during transit, mixing beans of varying sizes and ages, both old and new. Furthermore, defects are numerous, and processing is improper. By modern cupping standards, Yemeni coffee struggles to reach specialty grade. However, high-quality Yemeni coffee offers unique flavors: complex Middle Eastern spices, cured meat, ripe fruits, wine notes, and cocoa, with a rich body and strong sweet aftertaste. Like durian and stinky tofu, people tend to either love it or hate it.

Distinctive Flavors of High-Quality Yemeni Coffee

In terms of growing regions, Mattari, west of the capital, is known for its heavy body and cocoa notes. Harazi offers higher acidity and a lighter body. Other regions include Dhamari (also known as Anisi), Ibb, and Sana'a, named after the capital. However, Sana'a is not actually a growing region but rather a brand used by middlemen who mix fruits collected from neighboring villages for export, similar to how Yemeni coffee historically used the port name Mocha.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's brewing parameters:

V60/1:15/90°C/2-minute brewing time

Flavor notes: grape juice, chocolate, caramel, spices.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Yemen sits at the root of coffee history, and the same spirit of traditional, origin-driven processing lives on in FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopian lineup. The washed Yirgacheffe, with its jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity, echoes the clean, tea-like side of old-world coffee, while the naturally processed Yirgacheffe Red Cherry brings honeyed peach, cocoa, and honey. Both are brewed much like the Yemeni parameters above, at a V60 1:15 ratio with water around 90°C.