Introduction to Yemen Coffee History
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. Although coffee originated in Ethiopia, it was only after arriving in Yemen that coffee began to have a brilliant history and spread globally. Exploring Yemen coffee history will help to understand the country’s culture and its influence on global civilization.
How Coffee Came to Yemen
Coffee is believed to have been brought to Yemen from Ethiopia. According to historical documents, Muslims in Yemen learned about coffee in the 1400s, when Muslim traders and pilgrims brought coffee beans across the Red Sea from Ethiopia.
Historical Arab documents mention a group of Sufi monks called the Shathilya, who created Al-Qahwa from Kafta using the leaves of Al-Gat, a famous stimulant plant in India Arabic. They consider it a stimulant to stay awake during late-night prayers. Due to a sudden shortage of Al-Gat in Aden, Sheikh al-Dhabhani (d.1470 – historians consider him the first historical figure associated with Yemen coffee history) instructed his followers to use Bunn – coffee beans – for replacement.
However, this does not necessarily prove that the first use of coffee in Yemen was in the 15th century. Coffee may have been known before but replaced Al-Gat at that particular event. From then on, Al-Qahwa is coffee.
The Rise of Coffee in Yemeni Culture and Spirituality
After its introduction in Yemen, coffee quickly became essential to the culture and spirituality there. Coffee is a drink to enjoy and a part of religious rituals, helping scholars and monks stay awake during long prayer sessions.
Gradually, Yemen became the centre of the global coffee trade, with Mokha – a Yemeni city – becoming a vibrant coffee trading post where merchants worldwide came to buy and sell.
The Global Spread of Yemeni Coffee
According to Royal Danish research, coffee cherries will ripen in Yemen in February. The beans are taken from the mountains to the lowland town of Beit al-Fakih, where some are sent to the port of Mocha, from where ocean ships take them around the world.
Other parts of the harvest were sent from Beit al-Fakih to different port cities along the Red Sea coast, such as Hodeida and Loheja, from where the coffee was sent by smaller Arab ships to Jedda, Suez and continued to Turkey and Europe. This process is a significant part of Yemen coffee history.
The Monopoly in Yemeni Coffee History
Citing John Ray – an English naturalist (1688), the Yemeni maintained their monopoly on coffee production and export by deliberately destroying the ability of coffee seeds to germinate coffee before export. The Arabs were banned from exporting this plant and were threatened with severe punishment.
However, the Dutch, French and British found a way to introduce coffee to their colonies. This strategic control and the subsequent spread of coffee cultivation are pivotal aspects of Yemen coffee history.
The Collapse of Yemen’s Coffee Empire
Dutch botanist Herman Boerhaave (1720) provided further information on how Yemen’s coffee monopoly was broken. Notably, Nicolaes Witsen (1641–1717), Mayor of Amsterdam and board member of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, VOC), succeeded in obtaining organic coffee beans and transporting them from Mocha to Batavia in Java. Consequently, coffee was cultivated in Java and in the botanical garden in Amsterdam.
Furthermore, in 1715, Antoine de Jussieu (1719) studied coffee plants at the Jardin du Roi in Paris from plant samples in Amsterdam (Roque 1715). By 1719, the first coffee grown commercially in colonial Europe was harvested in Java.
Then, in 1720, French Captain Gabriel des Clieux brought coffee seedlings from Paris to Martinique, and from there, coffee cultivation spread throughout the Caribbean and to Central and South America (Silander 1757).
This transition marks a significant chapter in Yemen coffee history, ultimately ending the golden era of the coffee monopoly in Yemen.
The Unmatched Quality of Yemeni Coffee
Forsskål: A Royal Danish researcher (1775) wrote that Yemen has made coffee indispensable for many countries. Although the government has lost its monopoly on coffee production, coffee originating from the mountains surrounding Al Hadiya is still considered the best.
Perhaps because European colonists did not grow coffee at the same latitudes and high mountains with the same climate as in Yemen. Today, even if Yemen only supplies 1% of global production, Mocha and its Chocolate notes are still iconic in the coffee world.
The Genetic Mystery of Yemeni Coffee Varieties
Forsskål noted that he had never seen coffee grown in the lowlands, nor had he seen coffee growing wild. Coffee is only grown in mountainous areas with suitable temperatures and rainfall.
According to the Yemeni Arabs, the coffee plant was initially brought to Yemen from Abyssinia, the region of present-day Eritrea and northern and central Ethiopia. Interestingly, a recent study by Montagnon and colleagues (Montagnon et al., 2021) discovered five distinct genetic groups of coffee varieties in Yemen.
Surprisingly, one group is unique to Yemen and unrelated to any cultivated coffee varieties, including wild specimens from Ethiopia.
However, it is essential to note that despite its genetic uniqueness, it cannot be wholly confirmed that this coffee variety does not originate from Ethiopia. Coffea arabica coffee is originally known to have originated in the Ethiopian highlands, and coffee beans may have travelled via ancient trade routes to Yemen, where they were domesticated and further developed. Genetic changes may have occurred during this process, forming coffee varieties with distinct characteristics in Yemen.
Conclude
Yemen is the starting point for coffee’s global journey. Yemen coffee history, full of ups and downs, is a pivotal chapter in the history of coffee around the world. Coffee lovers still owe Yemen a debt of gratitude.
