Yemen: One of Asia's Coffee Origins - Coffee Region History Introduction

When discussing African coffee-producing countries, FrontStreet Coffee must mention Yemen. Yemeni Mocha is one of the world's oldest coffees. In the 15th century, coffee beans were primarily concentrated at the port of Mocha before being exported outward. Therefore, coffee beans shipped from the port of Mocha at that time were called Mocha coffee.

Republic of Yemen

FrontStreet Coffee learned through research that Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country located at the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders Saudi Arabia to the north, the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden to the south, Oman to the east, and is separated from the African continent—including Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti—by the Mandeb Strait to the west. The country covers an area of 528,000 square kilometers. Yemen's terrain can be roughly divided into five parts: mountains, plateaus, coastal plains, desert regions, and islands.

The national flag of the Republic of Yemen is rectangular, consisting of three parallel horizontal rectangles of equal area connected from top to bottom in red, white, and black—making it a pan-Arab colored flag. The red in the flag represents the blood of heroic martyrs and the revolutionary spirit, symbolizing revolution and victory. White symbolizes sanctity, purity, and hope for a better future. Black symbolizes the dark ages of the past.

Southern Yemen has a tropical arid climate with two distinct seasons: cool and hot. April to October is the hot season, with average temperatures reaching 37°C; November to March is the cool season, with average temperatures reaching 27°C. Northern Yemen has more varied climate types. The eastern gentle slopes extend toward the Rub' al Khali Desert, forming desert and semi-desert regions with a dry, harsh climate and little rainfall. The western Red Sea coast is the Tihamah region, characterized by a hot and humid climate where summer temperatures generally range between 35-40°C and humidity typically falls between 80%-90%. With annual rainfall below 400 millimeters, it is the region with the highest precipitation on the Arabian Peninsula.

Additionally, FrontStreet Coffee discovered that Yemen is a typical resource-based country, with oil and natural gas being its most important natural resources. The arable land area in the Republic of Yemen is approximately 3.62 million hectares, with per capita arable land at 0.24 hectares. Agriculture and fisheries are among Yemen's most important industries and are also the main export sources apart from oil.

Yemen's main crops include wheat, corn, and barley, while economic crops mainly consist of fruits, coffee, sesame, tobacco, and dates. Agriculture accounts for approximately 18% of Yemen's gross national product. Coffee has always been a traditional export product of Yemen. Yemeni coffee originates from Arabica coffee trees dating back several hundred years, all produced in regions above 3,000 feet in altitude.

The unique cultivation and processing methods of Yemeni coffee have remained largely unchanged. Coffee tree seedlings are first cultivated in nurseries before being transplanted to high-altitude areas. No pesticides or fertilizers are used during the cultivation process. After ripening, coffee beans are naturally dried on the coffee trees. After dehulling with stone mills, workers repeatedly select, wash, and clean the beans, resulting in coffee beans with regular shapes, uniform sizes, colors ranging from light green to yellow-brown, and rich, lasting aromas.

Introduction to Yemeni Coffee Growing Regions

Yemeni coffee is primarily cultivated in the central highlands, with many coffee varieties, mostly named after their origin and type. Yemen mainly grows Typica and Bourbon varieties, along with an ancient Typica variety called Udaini. The coffee harvesting period is from October to December. Yemeni coffee growing region names correspond to official province names, with coffee from several administrative regions being particularly renowned.

Sana'a

Located in the Sana'a basin between Mount Aiban and Mount Nakam, this is Yemen's largest coffee-producing region, with an average altitude of 2,200 meters. Coffee harvesting generally occurs from October to December. Many coffees for export are produced in this region, with Mattari being a famous local coffee market.

Raymah Province

With an average altitude of 1,850 meters, coffee harvesting also takes place from October to December. This region is also a key production area in water resource management plans implemented by non-governmental organizations.

Mahweet Province

As a distribution center for coffee before export from seaports, this was an important hub city for coffee production between the 15th and 18th centuries. Located south of Sana'a, it has altitudes ranging from 1,500 to 2,100 meters.

Sa'dah Province

At an altitude of 1,800 meters and bordering Saudi Arabia to the north, this area suffered significant losses due to civil war in 2004.

Coffee beans produced in Yemen belong to the Arabica species. Mocha beans are smaller than typical coffee beans but possess distinctive characteristics, especially their prominent fruity acidity, which often plays a complementary role in coffee blends. Consequently, they are hailed as the "red wine of coffee," with both aroma and acidity that leave a memorable impression.

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