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Yemen’s coffee industry - 4th October 2023

Yemeni coffee’s well known for being expensive, owing to its harsh growing conditions, which result in a smaller harvest compared to other major coffee producers. Due to a unique drying process using the fruit’s husk, it has a distinct flavour, which is highly sought after, driving up the cost.

The best coffee had always been exported and fetched a premium price. However, conflict in Yemen resulted in blockades of ports, disrupting this trade. The industry’s adapted by selling to local coffee shops, which are popping up across the country.

The manager of the 1,000 seat Haraz Coffee House in the capital Sana’a, Ghaleb Yahya Alharazi, sees that appreciation of Yemeni coffee is growing.

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."

Legend has it that Sufi mystics were the first to brew coffee - a drink which has become one of the most popular drinks in the world. Hussein Ahmed’s the owner of Mocha Hunters Cafe.

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."

Yemeni coffee is traditionally made using a drip or pour over method. However, Adel al-Moaid, a regular customer at the Mocha Hunters Cafe, believes it’s more than just the way it's brewed that makes the coffee distinctive.

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."

This distinctive taste soothes homesickness for some Yemeni people living abroad. Fortunately, with Yemen’s new, upscale cafes marketing their stock online, purchases by Yemeni people across the globe are fuelling the country’s coffee industry boom.