Yemen is thought to be one of the first countries to cultivate coffee. Hundreds of years ago, Yemeni coffee held a pristine reputation. Today? The reputation remains pristine, but many other things have changed drastically. 

Today, there is an ongoing civil war in Yemen. Coffee production and subsequent exportation was non-existent for a time, and still remains very limited. In spite of this, Yemeni coffee has not been forgotten and is still in demand across the world. People are willing to pay largely inflated prices that are a result of the severely limited supply. Purchasing coffee beans from the operational farms and establishments offers a direct benefit to the fragile economic state of Yemen.

We have compiled a list of our 5 best Yemeni coffee beans that are currently available!

Not sure which one you should try? If we had to pick just one, it would probably be this Mocha coffee!

A number of elements of Yemen’s coffee history are ingrained in society today. When discussing coffee species, beans are often referred to as Coffea arabica or Coffea robusta. The majority of specialty coffee today is Coffea Arabica. The term Coffea arabica comes from Yemen.

Be it referred to as Mocha, Mocca or Mokka... you’re probably familiar with the term Mocha. Mocha has been heavily commercialized into a brand that implies a certain chocolate taste. In reality, the term Mocha comes from the name of the main port in Yemen, where coffee has been historically shipped from. Although coffees from Mocha often contain notes of dark chocolate or cocoa, they are certainly not anywhere close to the half coffee, half hot chocolate style drinks that are available commercially.

Yemen Mocha coffee deserves to be discussed separately from the commercial product with added chocolate. Mocha was actually the largest coffee marketplace for hundreds of years from the 1500s to the early 1800s.

Mocha coffee beans are known to produce a very distinguished profile. You can expect a Mocha coffee to go something like this;

Mocha coffees are also further divided into Sanani and Mattari classifications.

Sanani beans typically display a more balanced and fruity profile, while Mattari beans are usually heavier, with dark chocolate notes.

Mocha coffee may be the most recognized, but Yemen has a variety of other beans to offer. Several coffee growing regions within the Arabian peninsula lie within a close proximity to the Red Sea. The Haraz (or Haraaz) mountains provide an ideal high altitude growing region. We've represented this mountain range in our list!

You’ve probably heard of the classical Mocha Java coffee blend before. Thought to be the first ever blend of different coffee beans, Mocha Java is comprised of beans from Yemen and Indonesia.

Yemen Mocha beans offer their signature bright, lively, wine-toned acidity and Indonesian Java beans balance out the profile while simultaneously adding to the complexity.

If you are to try one coffee blend, it should be Mocha Java, hands down.

Today, the name Mocha Java is often used as a brand more than an indication of coffee bean origin. Many companies take the principle of the Mocha Java blend, and apply it to coffees from different origins. This is due largely to the scarcity of Yemeni coffee. Although nothing can quite compare to the original, there are many respectable blends out there.

Despite the shortage of coffee from Yemen, there are still a few quality options available. Here are our 5 best available Yemeni coffees!

We highly recommend each of these coffees from Yemen. If you have never tried Yemeni coffee, it’s time to treat yourself!

Thoughts? Comments? Have a favorite Yemeni coffee that we’ve missed? We'd love to hear about it, let us know!