What Are the Flavor Notes of Yemeni Coffee? How Should You Drink It? What Are Yemen's Famous Coffee Beans?

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Cafe_Style (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

The Origins and History of Coffee

The use of coffee beans originated in Ethiopia, with a history that is difficult to trace. As for records of humans making coffee beverages, they date back to 15th-century Yemen. Local Sufi Muslims would drink coffee during religious ceremonies to enhance sect unity and keep believers alert. Soon after, coffee beverages spread throughout the Red Sea region, reached Istanbul, and by the 16th century, had arrived in Europe and India.

Yemen Coffee: The True Origin of Mocha

Yemen is located on the Arabian Peninsula of the Asian continent, facing Africa across the Red Sea, and is generally classified as African beans. When mentioning Yemen, most people directly associate it with Mocha! In fact, Mocha is a port in Yemen. Previously, almost all nearby coffee was exported from Mocha Port, so Mocha became synonymous with coffee and has been used to this day. In reality, Mocha Port disappeared long ago due to sedimentation! However, due to traditional habits, many other countries' coffee beans (such as dry-processed Ethiopian beans) are still labeled as Mocha. There are many spellings of the word Mocha, including Moka, Mocha, Mocca, etc., but Mokha is closest to the original Arabic.

Yemen has several famous producing regions, such as San'ani, Mattari, Hirazi, Rimy, and Dhamari. These regions produce many high-quality natural-processed beans. Because they are natural-processed, the coffee beans are often inconsistent in size, and sometimes mixed with grains like corn. Also, because they are natural-processed beans, they carry the characteristic wild flavors of natural processing. Overall, Yemeni coffee has a unique character - wild, complex, and stimulating, especially with its charming wine-like acidity and deep dark chocolate flavor that many people love. However, some also find Yemeni coffee beans to be bitter. Regardless, this is what makes Yemeni coffee beans unique.

Historical Context

Yemen has a long history of coffee cultivation. By the early 17th century, Yemeni coffee beans began to be exported from the southwestern Mocha Port to Europe, and Europeans called these coffee beans shipped from Mocha Port "Mocha coffee." Ethiopia, which faces Yemen across the Red Sea, later also used Mocha Port to export coffee beans, so Ethiopian coffee beans processed by natural methods are also often considered as Mocha.

Cultivation Methods and Varieties

The cultivation methods of Yemeni coffee remain similar to those of 500 years ago. They are almost all grown on mountain slopes ranging from 3,000 to 7,000 feet in altitude. Due to scarce rainfall, coffee trees must rely on their strong water retention capacity to survive drought periods. The harsh growing conditions result in smaller coffee bean particles, but with quite high hardness. Yemeni coffee varieties are also quite complex, with recognized small-bean varieties including Ismaili and ancient heirlooms, as well as Adeni and Mattari varieties.

Processing Methods

Yemeni coffee undergoes natural processing. After harvesting, the fruits are usually spread on courtyards or rooftops for sun-drying. Some are even allowed to dry directly on the tree before harvesting (this method is called floating).

The dried fruits must be ground and hulled. Today, Yemen still preserves the ancient method of stone grinding for hulling, and the stone grinders are powered by camels or donkeys.

Producing Regions

Yemen has many coffee-producing regions, with Mattari from Bani Matar (Bany Mattar) province being the most famous and also the highest quality among Yemen's exported coffees.

The early Mocha Port, which bore the important responsibility of export, had many names and spellings, such as Mocha, Mokka, Moca, Moka, Al-Mocha, Al-Makha, etc. Mocha Port was later abandoned due to sedimentation, and exports are now handled by Aden Port in the east and Hodeida Port in the north.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yemen Mocha Mattari

FrontStreet Coffee also has such a unique coffee - Yemen Mocha Mattari. Brewed with 89°C water, it presents a rich dark chocolate flavor at first sip, followed by a gradual emergence of rounded grape acidity, with rich layers that are quite surprising.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse coffee bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online shop services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473