Characteristics of Yemeni Coffee - Yemen Mocha Mattari Coffee Flavor Description

FrontStreet Coffee - Yemen Mocha Mattari Introduction

Professional coffee knowledge exchange, more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

Yemen Mocha Mattari

01 | Region Introduction

History of Yemen

Yemen is an ancient country in Africa, known for its frankincense or spice trade, and is the world's oldest origin of coffee Mocha cultivation. Tracing back, this was also the place where Noah built the ark in the Bible.

Legend has it that 3,000 years ago, the legendary Queen Sheba led a large delegation with gold and spices to Jerusalem to find King Solomon and gave birth to a son. Regardless, perhaps due to its ancient history, it is said that the people of this land still have a strong sense of self-esteem and are extremely independent.

Yemen, which continues the lifestyle preserved thousands of years ago, is said to have many places where the central government's authority cannot reach. Ethiopia, separated from Yemen by the sea, also exported coffee through the port of Mocha, so sun-dried processed coffee from Ethiopia is often called Mocha (such as Ethiopia Harra Mokka). Yemen Mocha is the originator of the world coffee trade. Yemen has made indelible contributions to spreading delicious coffee to the world and is known as "Arabian Coffee (Arabia)," which is also the origin of the later "Arabica original species" name.

It is said that in the 17th century, Europeans first imported coffee and spread it to the world from the world's largest coffee port—the port of Mocha. Today's "Port of Mocha" has failed to continue its prosperity compared to its former reputation, becoming a historical port with only white sandy beaches. Even so, it still "travels far and wide" in the name of coffee.

Although Ethiopia was the first country in the world to discover coffee, Yemen was the first country in the world to produce coffee on a large scale as an agricultural crop. In the early 17th century, the first batch of Yemeni coffee was exported to Europe via the ancient small port of Mocha, astonishing Europeans. Because all exported coffee bags had to be stamped with the MOCHA mark to prove they were transported from the port of Mocha, Europeans called the delicious coffee transported from the port of Mocha "Mocha Coffee." This is why early Mocha became synonymous with coffee.

Yemen coffee grows on steep terrain with little rainfall, poor soil, and insufficient sunlight. These unique, difficult, and unfavorable conditions for coffee growth have cultivated the irreplaceable Yemen Mocha in the coffee world. The main coffee-producing regions are Sanani, Matari, and Ismaili.

The Matari region is located in the highlands west of the capital, at an altitude of 2,000-2,400 meters. It is the highest altitude producing area in Yemen but also the most remote, with inconvenient transportation. Farmers often have to wait for a period of time after harvest before they can transport it out.

02 | Processing Method

Ancient Natural Sun-Drying Method

Yemen is a classic example of ancient sun-dried flavor and the only country in the world that produces entirely sun-dried coffee. The traditional processing method without water washing has remained unchanged since the 17th century when Europeans became fascinated with the wild taste of Mocha. This is related to Yemen's extremely dry climate. Coffee is mainly grown in the central highlands, with an average annual rainfall of only 400-750 millimeters, far below the optimal 1,500-2,000 millimeters for Arabica.

Due to the water-scarce environment, farmers have been unable to introduce more advanced water washing methods. The wild aroma surpasses Harar coffee, making Yemen the best choice for experiencing ancient flavors.

In the central highlands of Yemen, the mountains are rugged and treacherous. Small farmers mostly adopt a fragmented planting method, with a few plants planted on steep slopes and dozens planted on terraces or cliffs. Each has different soil and microclimates, so the aromatic components also differ.

Yemeni farmers' sun-drying processing method is cruder than Ethiopia's. Coffee cherries are not picked when they turn red but are left to dry naturally on the branches until they become purplish-black and fall to the ground before being collected. This differs from the refined sun-drying method of Yirgacheffe or Sidamo, where red cherries are picked and spread on "raised African beds," and is the main reason why Yemen has such a heavy wild taste.

Yemen's natural sun-drying processing method involves manually harvesting fully ripe coffee beans and then placing the freshly harvested beans directly in a dedicated coffee drying field or the compacted dirt front yard of their home 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 each bean dries evenly. After about twenty days, when the coffee drying is complete, the outer pulp and skin are removed to extract the coffee beans. Yemen coffee has rich, complex, bold, and mellow flavors, with strong fermentation notes and lower 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 most special coffee in the world.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473