Origin of coffee: Yemen Mocha that you are not familiar with

There used to be a period when most coffee drunk in Europe was produced in Yemen, but now Yemen coffee exports account for less than 1% of the world.

Although the number of coffee produced in other coffee-producing countries has greatly increased, the influence of Yemen on our coffee culture and coffee varieties cannot be underestimated. The coffee you drank this morning may be derived from a plant grown in Yemen hundreds of years ago.

In addition, coffee is still important to many communities in Yemen's rural areas, and producers are struggling to overcome the economic and personal safety challenges brought about by the civil war. However, some locals also make a living by producing a unique and complex coffee through professional evaluation.

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The cornerstone of coffee history: Yemen

Since 1536, most coffee sold in Europe and Turkey has been produced in Yemen.

Historians are not sure when Yemen started growing coffee. Ethiopia is generally considered the birthplace of coffee, although it has not been confirmed whether there is also Arabica that originated entirely from Yemen. However, some historians also infer that in the 13th or 14th century, Arabs may have introduced coffee to Yemen, and it may be that monks needed caffeine to keep themselves awake during night religious ceremonies.

When the Ottoman Empire took control of Yemen in 1536, coffee became an important part of the local economy. The Ottomans realized that Yemen could also export large amounts of coffee, and this was the first global trade in coffee. As merchants shipped this newly discovered beverage to the Ottoman Empire and Europe, coffee shops began to appear, and consumer demand increased.

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Mocha supplied coffee from all over the world at that time

Yemen's coffee is exported to Europe through the Red Sea port town of Mocha. When the ship arrives at the port, the coffee will be carried by camels and then transported to Alexandria, the capital of Egypt on the Mediterranean coast.

At this stage, European merchants like the Dutch East India Company will drag coffee to wooden boats and transport the coffee to the European market. The Dutch named this new drink Mocha Coffee (Mocha Coffee) after it was sold, and it was originally shipped out of the city. Over time, coffee and mocha have become inseparable synonymous.

Yemen Coffee has huge business opportunities for the Ottomans. They carefully protect from the outflow of its production process to maintain the prosperity of their empire.

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In fact, to ensure that no other country can grow coffee, they soak all exported coffee beans in boiling water or roast them slightly first. In this way, the coffee beans are prevented from sprouting to prevent buyers of coffee beans from growing their own coffee.

This practice lasted for more than 150 years, but with the rise of the European coffee market, it was only a matter of time before the Ottoman Empire could not monopolize the coffee market.

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The change of the meaning of Mocha's words: from an export port to a smoothie

In the 17th century, the Muslim pilgrim Baba Budan often broke the Ottoman constraints on coffee production and was praised. It is said that he secretly took the seven seeds away and successfully planted them in the Mysore Mountains (called the Malabar Mountains at the time) in southern India. Soon after, the Dutch began to grow coffee in their colony, the Indonesian island of Java.

It didn't take long for Yemen and the Ottoman Empire to lose their monopoly on the global coffee trade. In 1721, it was estimated that 90% of the coffee produced in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, came from Yemen. However, after only five years, 90% came from Java.

After a few more decades, coffee was grown in more colonial countries, and everyone began to forget about this daily drink. In fact, the Mocha was widely used in Yemen before. However, Yemen's importance to coffee history still exists in two important aspects.

First, let's take a look at the two main coffee varieties circulating the world: Tibia and Bourbon. The World Coffee Institute WCR considers them to be "the most culturally and genetically important Arabica coffee in the world." From these two varieties, we can find different types of coffee in countries on all continents, such as Brazil, El Salvador, Burundi, and Indonesia. Cardura, Pacamara, SL28, Blue Mountain...These varieties are descendants of these two varieties.

The seeds of Tibia and Bourbon were also transplanted from Yemen to India, Indonesia, and South America for planting. Although many varieties and cultivars have been extended, the two basic types that have grown in Yemen for many years remain unchanged¡ªstill loved by consumers worldwide.

In other words, the Arabica coffee you drink may come from the offspring of the coffee tree planted in Yemen.

Secondly, the term mocha is very popular in Western culture, ranging from mocha pots made in Italy to chocolate mocha frappuccinos from Starbucks. When people began to use "mocha coffee" to denote the combination of chocolate and coffee, it still did not have an official name. However, it seems that the word Mocha was first recorded in Betty Crocker's recipe for the mocha cake in 1892. This is A cake made with coffee frosting.

After that, the word mocha still represents many types of coffee, but it is more inclined to mean different kinds of drinks. It deviates from the most original meaning: coffee originated from the Mocha Port transaction, which slowly swallowed the leaves. The door has an important position in coffee history and culture.

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Yemen Coffee reappears on the world stage

Centuries have passed, and most people have paid attention to coffee produced in many countries in Africa, South America, and Asia, but Yemen has been ignored. The farmers in Yemen have never stopped growing coffee.

At first glance at Yemen's relatively dry, rocky environment, you might wonder how coffee trees can thrive. However, after careful cultivation, the complex flavors of Yemen coffee, such as fruits, dried figs, and berries, still capture many people's taste buds.

Although farmers in Yemen today use organic cultivation methods passed down from their ancestors, these techniques include planting seeds in ashes, keeping the soil low in moisture before planting, and using organic fertilizers from local livestock. This requires precise handwork and rigorous manufacturing processes.

The most obvious feature of Yemen Coffee is the terraces planted on the mountainside. The terraces help to save water in this dry climate. Take Yemen Amanda as an example. This is a coffee-growing community in the southwestern part of Yemen, located in a mountainous area. Sabcomeed is a company working with 90 local villagers who use terraces with hoses provided by Sabcomeed to combat drought.

Today, Yemen is struggling with geopolitical conflicts. This adds to the challenges faced by farmers when trying to enter the international market, many of whom need water and electricity infrastructure. This makes Yemen's coffee production even scarcer than ever.

However, despite these challenges, he emphasized that the country can produce excellent and unique coffees that will only get better over time. The best coffee from Yemen will have fruity, raspberry, and jasmine flavors.

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