Yemen: A Coffee Origin Story

Picture courtesy of South Slope Coffee

Being a first generation Arab-American, coffee (or in Arabic "qahwa") has been a part of my upbringing, cultural gatherings, and heritage. Most coffee lovers know that coffee trees originated from Ethiopia. What most don't know, however, is the drink "coffee" originated in Yemen.

The legend says that a goat herder named Khalid, located around the Ethiopian plateaus, discovered his goats munching on bright, red cherries. He noticed that they became so energetic at night, they would not want to sleep - he would find them dancing. There are many depictions of this in art over the course of time.

By the late 15th century, coffee as a beverage immerged after Sufi monk Muhammad Ibn Said Al-Dhabhani imported goods from Ethiopia to Yemen. He used coffee as an aid to help concentration during all-night meditations and prayers.

Yemen became the world's supply for coffee and, by the 17th and 18th century, most of Yemen's farming population began growing coffee. However, with the global demand for coffee grew, colonial trading companies began smuggling Yemeni beans and planting them in their countries under their rule. In just a few centuries, Yemen went from being the world's only coffee exporting country to having a small share in the market. By 1800, Yemen was producing 6% of the world's coffee.

Today, it's less than 0.1%.

Having learned this, I went down a rabbit hole about anything I could learn about Yemen coffee beans and exporting. Turns out, to no surprise, there isn't much on the subject. But I did stumble on a book written by Dave Eggers about a Yemeni-American man with a dream for showing the world what Yemeni coffee beans have to offer.

The journey I took alongside the book taught me so much about the pride and process of Yemen towards their coffee. It also taught me the obstacles and raging war (both literally and figuratively) to getting the coffee out of the country. Written with the perspective of a Yemeni native in mind, I felt acutely in tune with the dedication Mohktar Alkhanshali had to educating America and showcasing to the world what Yemen had to offer. How it was important to honor where coffee comes from and uplift and support a country that started the beginning of it all.

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Transitioning from this, I had never had Yemeni coffee before. I've had different kinds of Arabic-styled coffee; Lebanese, Iraqi (as that is my ethnicity), and Turkish. Arabic-grown beans? Not so much. So you can imagine when I had the opportunity to try Local Roasters Yemen coffee I was elated.

These beans come from the region of Sa'ada, Yemen and is a collective of native Yemeni varietals: Audaini, Dawaeri, Tuffahi, Matary, al-Hammadi, Al-Himi, Al-Burai and Al-Harazi. Many coffee farms tend to be unanimous in outline but one of my favorite parts of learning about Yemeni coffee production was discovering the beauty of their farms.

Lets jump in to the fun part now: the anticipated tasting.

• Mouthfeel/Body: medium body, no film coating, after sipping it leaves a sensation on the roof of the mouth resembling tannins in wine, richer feel, strong but pleasant acidity (not overwhelming but present)

• Color: a reddish hue resembling black tea

• Aroma: strong strawberry, floral notes, pastry (filo) dough

• Flavors: strawberry, pistachio, cantaloupe

• Aftertaste: strong in the strawberry from start to finish, lingers slightly afterwards

• The most disappointing and common fault with Yemeni coffees are they are well-known for tasting faded because of travel time + hardships exporting out of the mills.

To wrap it up, I fell in love with Yemeni's story along with the coffee that I tried. Despite it being old, I can imagine it being a delicious and complex cup for everyone who's willing to try. I will continue to write and promote more Middle Eastern coffee regions for awareness and to support the farmers who are risking their lives during the raging wars going on within them. If you have the opportunity to taste Yemeni coffee - whether it's traditional qahwa or the coffee beans - do not be deterred by the price and go for it.

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