Yemen Coffee Processing Company -- Mocha

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From the tiny port on the red sea of Yemen's west coast, coffee was originally introduced to the world. This port is known as Al-Makha,
Al-Mocha, Al-Mokka - (Mocha).

"This is archetypal coffee, for within a single cup of (Yemen) Mocha one may glimpse all the flavours coffee growers around the world have to offer…"

Kevin Knox, Coffee Basics (1997)

Al-Makha lent its name to the famous Mocha coffee. It all started in the 17th century, when Portuguese seaman anchored along the shores of Mocha port (Al-Mocha), fatigued and tired from the long journey. When the local Sheikh greeted and welcomed them to an unknown black brew. The seamen were surprised at the invigorating, stimulating and the herbal remedy of the drink. They requested to take some few sacks of the green beans.

Coffee in the 17th and 18th century was exclusively shipped to Europe from the little port of Mocha. Mocha turned from a sleepy fishing village into a booming port city by the green beans.

For over 200 years Yemen Mocha was the only commercial coffee.
Coffee trade substantially declined in later centuries, after Dutch, French and Portuguese sailors took the seed of the bean and succeeded in transplanting Coffee Arabica to their far-flung colonies.

From there on, the colonial powers were able to control not only trade but also production of the precious beans (Yemen's well-traveled bean). Yet, mocha's shrunken exports at the beginning of the 20th century were still up to 20,000 tons per year.

"For many generations Yemen Mocha coffee is recognized throughout the world as the best coffee obtainable, a distinctive pungent winy flavor sharp with acidity…"

William Ukers, All About Coffee (1935)

Beans of course were never grown in the hot coastal area along the Red Sea. They come from the fertile terraces of the western rugged
Yemeni Mountains, reaching altitudes of more than 3,000 meters above sea and level. Until the present day the best coffee of Yemen is grown there on a rainfed terraces, carefully protected from much sun by the surrounding mountains. The ways of cultivating these terraces is still the same as it was some 300 - 400 years ago. Therefore it's worth noting that this coffee is grown organically in the "rich soil" of Yemen's mountains.

Once the subject of myth, Mocha coffee has become the object of
misunderstanding and misrepresentation. One might think this a case of
unscrupulous mislabeling; in fact, the growths of Haiti, Guadeloupe, and
Ethiopia were very much the same as those from Yemen. The coffee trees growing in the West Indies were at that time the grandchildren of the trees in Yemen; the beans produced in both locals were intended primarily as guides to flavor, the labeling was, if literally inaccurate, effectively true.

Were the growths of Arabia and Ethiopia compared today, the difference in flavors would be easily recognized. An attempt to classify these growths as Mochas in the modern marketplace would be deceptive and confusing.

How did what was true become a lie? The soil, altitude and climate of any given coffee-growing area contribute unique characteristic of body, flavor, and the beans produced in that area. It has been centuries since the Arabian seed was transplanted to the West Indies, and Caribbean coffee has taken on the character of its new home. For better or worse it must live up to the merits of its new name - not the name of its ancestors.

Yemen Mocha has very pronounced taste. Powerful acidity, complex wine and chocolate tones. It can be described as nutty, malty, spicy, winey, fruity, chocolatey and exotic. A distinctive pungent, smooth and piquant. This coffee yields the most superbly aromatic and uniquely flavor cups in the world.

The term Mocha is defined in the International Coffee Glossary as follows:

Mocha: A small irregular bean of olive green color. It has a unique
acid character. Generally shipped from Mocha, Yemen.

Yemen produces all types Arabica, Mocha and Organic coffee. There are several distinct types of Yemeni Mocha which are:

Ahjeri, Anisi, Buraee, Haimi, Harrazi, Ismaeili, Mahweeti, Matari,
Wosabi, Raimi, Safani, Udayni and Yafi.

Publicists may try to convince you that coffee from this farm or that
farm tastes different from coffee from another farm over the hill. These
may be fine coffees, but expert cuppers may have difficulty describing
the differences between them. Yemen does taste different, in dramatic
ways that will excite even a coffee novice.

Yemen Mocha has very pronounced taste. Powerful acidity, complex wine and chocolate tones. It can be described as nutty, malty, spicy, winey, fruity, chocolatey and exotic. A distinctive pungent, smooth and piquant. This coffee yields the most superbly aromatic and uniquely flavor cups in the world.

Yemeni coffees has a soft blueberry back-taste or flavor.

We guarantee purity & genuinity of Yemen Mocha. We are able to provide our customers with the finest Mocha coffee Yemen has to offer.

Today and from this celebrated coffee origin, we feel proud to be able to provide this rare and delicious coffee to our customers the world over.

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