Yemeni coffee - 4th October 2023

Yemeni coffee's one of the most expensive because of its flavour. It's also produced in a difficult climate and in small quantities. The coffee beans are dried in their own skins, which gives them a different flavour.

Yemen used to export the best coffee, and it was sold at a high price. But this became harder to sell abroad because of the war. Now, farmers need local coffee shops to buy most of their coffee. Yemeni coffee's become popular in Yemen again.

Ghaleb Yahya Alharazi manages a 1,000 seat cafe in the capital, Sana'a.

Ghaleb Yahya Alharazi: "Our goal is to embark on a journey back to the glory days of Yemeni coffee, rediscovering its authentic culture and heritage."

Today, coffee's the world's most common drink after water. It was first drunk by Muslim mystics over 600 years ago.

Hussein Ahmed's pleased that Yemen's coffee business is growing.

Hussein Ahmed: "Due to the travel difficulties, if you could come to Yemen, it will cost you a lot of money and it is very hard to travel; Yemenis living abroad become more emotional, so they always buy Yemeni products, and I think it helps our business to become more popular among them."

The traditional technique for making Yemeni coffee continues. But Adel al-Moaid, who enjoys the drink, says it's not only the technique that makes Yemeni coffee special.

Adel al-Moaid: "I can instantly identify this coffee. I know that it originates from Haraz. I know it underwent fermentation, was dripped for serving, and that its intensity is 13. It's like it has an ID card, and clearly, such a thing did not exist before."

There's a large international Yemeni community, who can't travel home. For many, the coffee's special taste is a reminder of home.

Now, these people are purchasing the coffee online from cafes in Yemen. This is helping Yemen's coffee industry to recover.