Characteristics and Flavor of Yemeni Coffee Matali Variety Premium Coffee Beans and How to Brew Yemeni Coffee

Introduction to Yemen Coffee

Yemen sits on the Arabian Peninsula in Asia, yet it is very close to Africa - just across the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Because other Arab countries do not produce coffee, the world has long classified Yemen coffee as a member of the North African coffee family. So what exactly is Yemen Mocha?

The Origin of Mocha

Mocha is the export port for Yemen coffee. In the history of the coffee trade, it was difficult to name all the small sub-regions, even though the coffee from these seemingly insignificant places was truly excellent. So traders used the export location as the name, and nearby East African natural processed beans shipped out through Mocha Port were included too. Today, Mocha Port has long since silted up and disappeared, and many Ethiopian natural processed beans also name themselves Mocha - such as the Harar Mocha we know well - because their flavor shares common ground with Yemen coffee.

The most correct spelling of Mocha coffee is Al-Mahka, its Arabic spelling, though it ultimately appears as Mocca or Mocha on the burlap bags. Naming and spelling aside, Yemen coffee is the most unique and expensive coffee in the world. In overall style it has a "wild" or "natural" flavor with earthy notes and extremely high complexity. For some people it carries a pungent spice aroma, but whatever your taste, you must find time to try it. If you fall deeply in love with it, that will be the beginning of a brand new coffee journey.

Yemen's Coffee Culture and Trade

Yemen is very likely the first country in the world to use coffee as a cash crop. Legend has it that coffee was introduced by Islamic Sufi pilgrims from Ethiopia in the 6th century. Yemen's coffee culture differs from other regions - exporters do not buy directly from farms but purchase from large wholesale distributors. The coffee received by local wholesale distributors still contains pods - whole sun-dried coffee cherries, usually stored in cellars. The special flavor of Yemen coffee that people love may come from these ancient trading methods.

Yemen's coffee farmers have not been harmed by this wholesale system, mainly because local coffee cultivation land is limited and, combined with high altitude and scarce water resources, production is very small. At the same time, demand for Yemen coffee is very high, which keeps prices high.

Growing and harvesting coffee in Yemen is not easy. Most farmland grows khat grass, which is said to have a mild stimulating effect; the plant draws water from underground and damages the aquifer. Coffee is different - we hope to make some changes so that farmers can move away from khat grass.

Yemen Mocca Matari

■ Country: Yemen

■ Region: Bani Matar

■ Altitude: 2000-2400 meters

■ Processing: Natural

■ Variety: Matari

■ Flavor Description: Full and thick body, woody, wine aroma, juicy sensation, berries, dried fruits, longan and other flavors, as well as tobacco, smoky aftertaste

Matari is the most famous coffee bean in Yemen, located in the Bani Matari highlands west of the capital Sana'a. It has a strong, thick flavor with distinct berry aromas.

Yemen Mocca Haimi

■ Country: Yemen

■ Region: Al-Haimah

■ Altitude: 1500-2200 meters

■ Processing: Natural

■ Variety: Haimi

■ Flavor Description: Woody, fresh pod and other plant tones, with chocolate and cream flavors, quite clean

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

1. Dripper: V60

2. Water Temperature: 88°C

3. Grind Size: Fuji 4

4. Roast Level: Medium

5. Bloom Time: 25 seconds

Flavor: Balanced, chocolate, persistent caramel sweetness in aftertaste

FrontStreet Coffee Suggested Method

15g coffee, Fuji 4 grind, V60 dripper, 88-89°C water temperature. First pour 30g of water for a 25s bloom, then pour to 104g and stop. Wait until the water level drops to half, then slowly pour until reaching 220g. Avoid the last 5g. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time about 2:00 (counting from after the bloom).

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Yemen and Ethiopia share the deepest roots in coffee, and if Yemen Mocha's wild, berry-driven character speaks to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Yirgacheffe coffees are a natural companion to explore. Start with the washed Yirgacheffe - it delivers clear jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity, light and elegant with a tea-like body that drinks almost like a clean, refreshing lemon tea.

For something fruitier, try FrontStreet Coffee's natural Yirgacheffe Red Cherry, processed in the sun for two weeks until the sugars and essence of the fruit soak into the bean. It is clean and distinctive with generous fruit aromas, described as peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon. Both are classic Ethiopian profiles - floral, fruit-forward, and full of the same energy that made Mocha famous.