Rare origin · mocha, the original

Yemen Coffee

Coffee has grown on Yemen’s mountain terraces for more than 500 years. Tiny harvests, ancient varieties and sun-dried naturals make it one of the rarest coffees you can buy.

Altitude
4,900–8,200 ft
Harvest
October–February
Varieties
Yemenia landraces
Usual process
Natural
Rarity index
99/100

Carried by 1 of 312 US roasters we track

On Roasterland
1 coffees · 1 roasters

In the cup

Dried fruit, spice and dark chocolate

Expect a wild, layered cup: raisin and dried apricot, cardamom and cinnamon, cocoa, sometimes a winey finish. No two lots taste alike.

Dried fruitSpiceCocoaWiney

Taste profile

SweetnessHigh
AcidityMedium
BodyFull
BitternessMedium

From our tasting of every coffee from this origin on Roasterland. Each coffee page has its own profile.

Yemen, side by side

Same origin, different small roasters. Each roasts it its own way.

About the region

Where the coffee trade began

Long before coffee reached Europe, it left the Yemeni port of Mocha. Farmers in the Haraz, Bani Matar and other highland regions still grow it on stone terraces cut into the mountains, often on plots of just a few hundred trees.

Most Yemeni coffee is dried whole in the sun, on rooftops and terraces. Exporting it is slow and difficult, so very little reaches American roasters. When it does, it sells out.

Roasters who roast Yemen

Armeno Coffee Roasters Northborough, MA George Howell Coffee Acton, MA

If you like Yemen, try

AfricaEthiopiaJasmine · Bergamot · Blueberry · Lemon Asia & PacificIndiaDark chocolate · Spice · Molasses · Full body USAHawaiʻiMilk chocolate · Nutty · Brown sugar · Tropical fruit

Questions about Yemen

Why is Yemeni coffee so expensive?
Harvests are tiny, farms are hand-terraced, and getting coffee out of Yemen is slow and costly. Very little is exported.
Is Yemen the same as “Mocha”?
Mocha was the port that shipped Yemeni coffee to the world. Today “Mocha” on a bag usually just means Yemeni coffee, not chocolate.