Mokha San'ani Region Introduction: How Should You Drink Yemeni Coffee?

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When mentioning Yemeni coffee, one immediately thinks of the wonderfully rich, satisfying natural processed beans, with fantastic wild aromas of fermented tea layered in the aftertaste, as mysterious and elusive as the country of Yemen itself, yet endlessly captivating.

Yemen Coffee Origins

Yemen is located in Asia, facing Ethiopia across the Red Sea. 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 natural processed beans from nearby East Africa were exported worldwide through Mocha port, so natural processed beans from this region, including Yemen and Ethiopia in East Africa, are collectively called Mocha beans.

Natural Processing Method

Yemen coffee's natural processing method involves hand-picking fully ripe coffee beans and directly placing the freshly harvested beans in specialized coffee drying grounds or compacted soil 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 of each bean. After about twenty days of drying completion, the outer pulp and skin are removed to extract the coffee beans. Yemen coffee is characterized by rich, complex, wild, mellow, and strong fermentation flavors with low acidity. Additionally, Yemen coffee often contains an uncertain factor (the timing of seasonal rainfall) that makes it unpredictable, making it no exaggeration to call it the world's most special coffee.

Agricultural Challenges

Yemen is one of the driest 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 relies on imports for 80% of its crops. Reasons include population growth and water scarcity related to locals over-cultivating "Qat" (also known as Arabian tea), a crop with as long a history as coffee.

Qat is a common social drug among residents of the Arabian Peninsula. Yemenis like to prepare rooms in their homes to entertain guests while chewing Qat and chatting with friends. It contains the stimulant cathinone, which has effects similar to light amphetamines, providing mental stimulation and alertness. However, when the drug's effects wear off, users feel depressed. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has not classified it as a drug, many Western countries have already banned its import.

On the other hand, Yemen has been troubled by drought problems since ancient times. Its major cities rely on underground water sources, with agriculture accounting for 90% of water consumption, and Qat cultivation alone consumes significant water resources. Authorities estimate that underground water reserves in the capital Sana'a will be depleted by 2017. Most Yemeni cities are built on high mountains, with residents relying on water from government or private wells. The country has between 40,000 to 70,000 wells, some reaching 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 and cannot satisfy hunger, replacing it with other crops. Coinciding with the rise of the specialty coffee trend, the Yemeni government is now actively encouraging farmers to switch to growing coffee, which consumes half the water of Qat.

Mokha San'ani Varietal

Mokha San'ani: A broad market name for coffee from some growing areas west of Yemen's capital Sana'a. It's a blend from tens of thousands of small farms on the slopes near the capital Sana'a. The growing altitude is slightly lower than Mattari. Generally, the body is thinner than Mattari, with lower acidity, but good fruit aroma, often having better ripe fruit and wild flavors than Mattari. Altitude approximately 1650 meters.

The coffee beans are inconsistent in size with significant color variation, appearing to consist of small pea-sized beans and empty defective beans. The raw beans have a fermented wine aroma. Unlike Ethiopian red cherry coffee's prominent strawberry sandwich cookie aroma, the low-key, steady, and sufficient fermented wine aftertaste is unmatched by natural processed beans from other countries.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using 15g of coffee, BG 5R (Chinese #20 sieve pass rate?), V60 dripper, 89-90°C water temperature. First pour 25g of water for 30s pre-infusion, then inject to 125g and stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half before continuing to pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g, discarding the final 5g. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time approximately 2:00 (counting from completion of pre-infusion).

Flavor Profile

Yemen coffee flavors: Balanced taste, dark chocolate, nuts, red berries, complex wild flavors, persistent caramel sweetness in the aftertaste.

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

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