The Flavor Profile of Yemen Mocha Mattari Coffee Beans | Origin and Characteristics of Mocha Coffee

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The Enigmatic Yemen Coffee

When Yemen coffee is mentioned, one immediately thinks of the magical natural sun-dried beans with a rich, satisfying mouthfeel. The fantastical, wild aroma reminiscent of fermented tea unfolds in layers, just as mysterious and elusive as the country of Yemen itself, evoking endless yearning.

Geographic and Historical Context

Yemen is located in Asia, facing Ethiopia across the Red Sea to the east. It is the highest-quality natural sun-dried coffee-producing country. Coffee produced in Yemen is called Mocha beans. In fact, Mocha is a coffee export port. Early on, natural sun-dried beans from nearby East Africa were also exported to the world through the port of Mocha. Therefore, natural sun-dried beans from the region including Yemen and Ethiopia are collectively referred to as Mocha beans.

Traditional Processing Methods

Yemen's natural sun-dried processing method involves hand-harvesting fully mature coffee beans, then placing the freshly harvested beans directly in dedicated coffee drying fields or in their own compacted earthen front yards to receive sun exposure. During the sun-drying period, similar to drying rice in Taiwan, wooden rakes are used to turn the beans to ensure even drying. After about twenty days, when the coffee drying is complete, the outer pulp and skin are removed to extract the coffee beans. Yemen coffee is characterized by rich, complex, wild, mellow, and strong fermented flavors with lower acidity. Coupled with an unpredictable factor in Yemen coffee (the timing of seasonal rainfall), it becomes truly elusive. Calling it the world's most special coffee is no exaggeration.

Unique Growing Conditions

Yemen coffee grows on steep terrain with little rainfall, poor soil, and insufficient sunlight—conditions that are uniquely challenging and unfavorable for coffee cultivation. Yet these conditions have nurtured the irreplaceable Yemen Mocha in the coffee world. The main coffee-producing regions are Sanani, Matari, and Ismaili.

Cultivation Traditions and Challenges

For centuries, Yemen's crude and primitive coffee cultivation methods have seen slight improvements. Coffee trees are planted in small plots on steep mountain slopes in areas that are difficult to access. The dry Arabian soil, combined with lack of moisture in the air, produces coffee beans that are particularly hard and small. Delicate irrigation systems bring spring water to terraced coffee gardens surrounded by soil and low walls. All this work is done by human labor. Coffee beans are often dried on rooftops or flat ground. Strangely enough, coffee beverages are not very popular in this region where coffee was first consumed, and the brewing methods are quite poor. Coffee liquid is generally boiled with the coffee pods. Small farmers are more dedicated to cultivating a medicinal plant called qat, as chewing qat is popular locally, while neglecting the care of coffee trees. Mocha production remains limited by local political turmoil and cultivation that doesn't meet economic scale. Mocha coffee gets its name from Yemen's Mocha port, which was the earliest coffee export port, supplying global coffee commercial trade until the end of the 17th century.

Flavor Profile and Characteristics

Since people began drinking coffee, Mocha has always been recognized as excellent coffee with distinctive acidity. Some consider Mocha's special acidity to be aggressive. That's because after a day of labor, people's sense of taste becomes dull to refined flavors. The coffee itself is very aromatic and rich. Yemen Mocha is represented by Mattari from the Bani Matar region, known for its sweet, smooth, and unique aromatic flavor profile. It has the characteristic of slight acidity with a strong aftertaste. Mocha is suitable for blending with Milds category coffees, especially suitable for creating blend coffees with Ethiopian coffee, Indonesian Java coffee, and Sumatra coffee. Locals like to mix Mocha with Ethiopian coffee to make Turkish coffee. It is the most suitable coffee for post-meal consumption. It is also the finest among Mocha coffees.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yemen Mocha Mattari

FrontStreet Coffee's Yemen Mocha Mattari, perhaps due to Yemen's cultivation methods and traditional sun-dried processing, gives this bean a somewhat nostalgic flavor when tasted. Wild, full of untamed and unrestrained character, the rich chocolate flavor upon entrance is intoxicating. As the coffee cools slightly, the sweet and sour sensation of grapes fills the entire palate.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's brewing parameter recommendations:

V60/89°C/1:15/Time: two minutes

Flavor notes: Dark chocolate, grape, spices

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473