Coffee Advent Calendar Day 16 - Yemen
Coffee Advent Calendar: Yemen Mocca Pearl Of Tehama
NOTES: Tangerine, Bittersweet Chocolate, Spices
ROAST: Medium
Yemen is the birthplace of cultivated Arabica. Seeds brought from Ethiopia were used to create the world’s first commercial coffee farms, supplying the Arabian Peninsula and later Europe. In fact, the scientific name, Coffea arabica, reflects this long history of cultivation in Arabia. Yemen also gave us the name Mocha, both for the coffee beans and the port from which they were exported, the Yemeni port of Al Mokha. Today, “mocha” often refers to a chocolate-flavored espresso drink (espresso, steamed milk, and chocolate), also called a caffè mocha. This modern drink is named after the original Yemeni Mocha beans, which naturally had chocolatey notes.
Growing coffee in Yemen’s dry, steep, high-altitude terrain requires generations of knowledge. Terraces are narrow, water is scarce, and trees are spaced widely—about 1,000 per hectare, compared with 4,000–6,000 in Latin America—to conserve groundwater and prevent erosion. Shade trees are carefully positioned to reduce water loss, and older trees often hang over terrace edges, creating Yemen’s famous “hanging gardens.” Productivity is low, but over a million people are involved in the country’s coffee trade.
Pearl of Tehama manages milling, export, and logistics for these partner farms. Founded in 1970, it continues to operate today despite the ongoing armed conflict in Yemen. Coffee from Yemen is extremely rare, so we’re thrilled to share a small amount with you as part of our Advent Calendar.
As I sip this coffee, I imagine what the first coffee drinkers experienced four hundred years ago. Expect a slick body with muted acidity, layered with bittersweet chocolate, warm spices, and earthy undertones. A truly historic cup.
- Country: Yemen
- Region: Sa’adah Governorate and Ibb Governorate
- Producers: 615 farmers organized around Pearl of Tehama
- Altitude: 1,700 - 2,400 masl
- Varietals: Jadi, Dawaery, Tuffahi
- Process: Natural dried on rooftops and raised beds
