Why Yemeni Coffee is amazing?

2024년 8월 28일

My name is Hussein Ahmed, and I have been involved in the trade and production of Yemeni coffee since 2008. I am the founder of "Mocha Hunters," a company specializing in the export of Yemeni coffee, which includes a roastery and a café, based in Sana'a.

During one of my trips in 2009, I was on a quest to discover rare coffee treasures and explore this mysterious world that we had only heard about as if it were legends passed down from our ancestors. In the early morning on the slopes of one of the Bani Matar mountains west of Sana'a, I met a man in his sixties, whose wisdom and experience were evident from the many years he had lived. In this region, which can be described as a paradise during the rainy summer season and barren in the winter, the man was enjoying the early morning sun at the start of the winter season.

We had a long conversation, and I told him that every coffee region I had visited claimed that their coffee was the best in Yemen. Smiling, while the early morning rays touched the wise man's face, he said, "Coffee is like women; they are all beautiful, but each one has her own unique charm."

After this pleasant conversation, I spent many months visiting coffee-growing areas that stretch across the valleys and mountain slopes of Yemen, from our northern borders to the towering mountains overlooking Aden, and from the western highlands that meet the plains of Tihama to the plateaus merging with the desert in eastern Yemen.

I always had many questions in my mind: Why is Yemeni coffee famous? What happened to this legendary product? How did it deteriorate and become a secondary product in Yemen? What happened to Yemeni coffee in recent decades? I will try to write my personal opinion and answer these questions.

Why is Yemeni coffee unique in taste?

Varieties

The distinctive varieties that have grown and evolved in Yemen over centuries have undergone genetic mutations to adapt to the mild climate—cool at night, moderate during the day. We have several coffee varieties, and people name them differently from place to place, often after the regions where they are grown. The main varieties are 'Adini, Burai, Tufahi, and Dawairi. Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive scientific documentation in Yemen based on genetic research. Locally, coffee is named after the region where it is grown, regardless of the variety. Examples include Hawari, Harazi, Haimi, Raimi, Burai, Hafashi, Ansi, Malhani, Hamadi, Yafai, Khawlani, and Matari.

Each variety has its characteristics; some need to be near water sources in valleys, some require tree shade, and others can withstand drought and dryness. Therefore, you may find all Yemeni coffee varieties in the same valley and surrounding mountains. Our ancestors selected the best types and varieties that produce delicious coffee due to the limited agricultural areas.

Terroir

Perhaps I should use this French term that links climate, terrain, soil, and local farming traditions, which makes Yemeni coffee unique and distinctive.

Yemeni coffee grows on volcanic mountain slopes at altitudes ranging from 1200 to 2200 meters above sea level in agricultural terraces built over generations. It also extends to the valleys below these mountains. When you stand and observe these terraces built by the first ancestors, you can’t help but think about the physical effort and energy the local people exerted to create these unique landmarks. However, I am not surprised when I see those tall houses built in past centuries on the peaks overlooking the coffee farms like guardians. These farms brought rivers of European silver during the peak coffee cultivation periods in Yemen, and Yemen monopolized this product for centuries.

The altitude of coffee-growing areas plays a significant role in its quality. The higher altitude causes coffee cherries to ripen slowly, resulting in higher density and longer maturation time. Harvesting usually begins in the valleys (1200 to 1700 meters above sea level) at the end of September, while in higher areas, it continues until the end of December. If the spring rains are delayed and the trees’ flowering is late, harvesting may extend to January and February. The altitude gives unique notes to the coffee, making it floral, fruity, with balanced acidity, sweetness, and distinctive body.

In this land overlooking the Red Sea to the west and the Arabian Sea to the south, with endless desert to the north and east, we receive the gift of rain in two seasons: summer rains in March, April, and May, and autumn rains in July, August, and September. This timing is crucial for making our agricultural products unique. After the harsh winter, when farmers have deprived fruit trees, including coffee, of water, the blessing comes in the form of rain in late March and early April. The trees bloom, and the mountains and valleys are filled with the fragrance of pink flowers. When you visit these areas, you feel like you have dived into a bottle of perfume.

So, I am not surprised if we had a role in the production and trade of incense and perfumes in past eras.

The terraces on the slopes where coffee is grown may face east, west, south, or north, and each direction has its own characteristics and flavors. The terraces that bid farewell to the sun at sunset often have cherry and berry notes. Those that embrace the morning sun are dominated by floral, jasmine, rose, and red apple notes.

The slope angle of the terraces plays a significant role in the quality of the coffee. Rainwater usually passes through, and the tree takes only what it needs, making Yemeni coffee always refreshing and not overwhelming. The trees have adapted and evolved to cope with these terraces and the unique conditions in which they grow.

Since the agricultural holdings are small, farmers harvest coffee cherries in stages during the harvest season and dry them on the rooftops of their homes. In some places, there are old methods of shade drying in caves in Bani Matar, west of Sana’a. It is noted that the higher the area and the milder the non-humid weather, the better the drying process, especially if the farmer can extend the drying process to more than two weeks to reach the required moisture level. After the coffee cherries dry, farmers store them in bags and special places in their homes.

We will not delve into the topic of selling and collecting coffee from local traders in its growing areas and the network of Yemeni coffee trade routes that are hundreds of years old. This is a topic I will write about in a blog at a later time.

The above was a brief overview of what makes Yemeni coffee unique.

So, what happened to this legendary product?

At the peak of its trade and cultivation, with high demand from all global markets, its cultivation spread in Yemen like wildfire. There are no accurate statistics, but any place suitable for its cultivation was planted by Yemenis with this noble tree. Personally, I have a way of knowing the extent of coffee cultivation prosperity in any Yemeni area: those beautiful, large, and tall houses built on high mountains overlooking the terraces and valleys. The more beautiful, large, and tall the houses, the more likely they were built during the golden age when Yemen monopolized this crop that enchanted the world.

In the early stages of coffee cultivation and trade flourishing from the famous port of Mocha, the demand was so high that farmers sold all their crops and drank coffee husks. Over time, coffee husks became the national drink, especially in the mountainous highlands. It is difficult to describe this drink in words, but it can be said that it is the Arabic version of whiskey without the alcohol. Its golden color and barley taste with the sweetness of dried cherries, ending with sandalwood and cinnamon, and a unique texture, make it a drink from another world. To this day, people in the countryside drink it all day long, similar to green tea in the Japanese countryside. There is not much scientific research on it, but it undoubtedly contains caffeine. I tried it once concentrated under the pressure of an espresso machine and stayed awake for 24 hours afterward.

The transformation of coffee husks into the national drink had a significant impact on the quality of Yemeni coffee. Farmers began harvesting coffee cherries when they were yellow to become golden after drying. The market paid more for golden husks. If the coffee cherries did not fully mature, they lost much of their commercial value globally and reduced the weight of green coffee beans.

At one point, coffee beans became a secondary product, and the main product from the coffee tree was the golden husk. Additionally, during the process of separating the husk from the green coffee beans from the dry coffee cherries, to produce good husks, the dry coffee cherries were moistened with water. This negatively affected the quality of the green coffee beans. The green coffee beans absorbed some of the water used to moisten the dry coffee cherries, affecting their quality and flavor.

The trade and cultivation of Yemeni coffee deteriorated for many reasons, including political and economic changes, the arrival of coffee trees in the New World, and many changes that this product could not maintain its economic position locally and internationally.

The emergence of fossil fuels in neighboring countries, despite the significant benefits they brought to the people of those regions, was the most important reason for the decline in the quality and cultivation of Yemeni coffee for the following reasons:

From the latter half of the last century, many young people migrated in search of job opportunities in the oil-rich neighboring countries, leaving their agricultural areas. Agriculture, especially cash crops, no longer provided them with benefits, especially since the main markets for Yemeni coffee in Europe, America, and Asian countries began importing coffee from other, cheaper coffee producing countries. The large migration of young people created a deep knowledge gap in coffee cultivation, as the migrant sons could not acquire the knowledge and experience from their farmer fathers.

At the same time, more than 70% of coffee exports went to the wealthy neighboring countries, where it was customary to mix coffee with spices such as cardamom, ginger, and others. In the early stages of coffee's arrival in these countries, they could only obtain lower-quality coffee, necessitating flavor enhancement with spices. The elite coffee went to Europe and America. This practice continued despite the changing economic situation, affecting Yemeni coffee as farmers no longer focused on quality since local traders did not evaluate coffee based on quality as before, but only on weight regardless of quality.

Naturally, the Yemeni farmer who continued to cultivate coffee and loved this unique plant struggled to keep it alive. Fortunately, Yemenis retained the best agricultural practices inherited from their ancestors and fathers despite migration and the unfair market.

Since the 1960s, with the arrival of paved roads connecting cities and agricultural countryside and the rapid population growth, the qat tree, which holds a special place in the hearts of Yemenis, has spread. It is a gentle tree chewed by people in the afternoons, providing a unique mood. However, with paved roads, increasing demand for qat, fast delivery, and pesticide use, this gentle tree turned into a demon or rather a giant wreaking havoc on the land. The most significant victim, besides humans, was the coffee tree. The qat tree took over vast agricultural areas and, in a few decades, depleted groundwater accumulated over hundreds of thousands of years.

This is a brief overview of what happened to Yemeni coffee in the past decades. However, since the emergence of the Internet and social networks, a new door has opened for ancient products. Lovers of food, drinks, and of course coffee are eager to try new and unique types.

We can say that we have opened a new page for Yemeni coffee with the world. For coffee lovers, search your city for specialty coffee, visit cafes that have roasting equipment, and order Yemeni coffee.

The following are some photos of my coffee journey.