What is Yemeni coffee? A short guide to the world's first coffee
Where coffee as a drink began, what makes coffee from Yemen different, and what to expect in the cup.
Yemeni coffee is coffee grown in the mountains of Yemen, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. It's where coffee first became the drink we know: by the 15th century, Sufi communities in Yemen were brewing coffee to stay awake through night prayers, and from there it spread across the world.
Why it's called "mocha"
For centuries, Yemen's coffee left the country through the Red Sea port of Mocha (al-Mukha). Traders named the coffee after the port, and the name stuck. Today "mocha" usually means a chocolate drink, but it started as a name for coffee from Yemen.
How it's grown
Coffee in Yemen grows on stone terraces cut into steep mountainsides, high above sea level. Farms are small and family-run, and the cherries are picked by hand. Our coffee comes from the Al-Emadi family's farms around the village of Jarmah in the Haraaz mountains, at 1,800 to 2,460 metres.
Dried in the sun, whole
Most Yemeni coffee is processed the traditional way, called "natural": the whole cherry is dried in the sun with the bean still inside, before the fruit is removed. Ours is dried on raised beds. Drying in the fruit gives the cup depth and natural sweetness.
What does it taste like?
Every harvest is different, but our Haraaz coffee shows notes of cocoa, chocolate, red fruit and cherry. We offer three coffees from the same harvest, each with its own character:
- Specialty Jawaher: refined and clear, the smoothest cup.
- Haraazi: smooth and balanced.
- Yemeni: bold and full-bodied, a great everyday cup.
Not sure where to start? The Tasting Trio has one bag of each.