When Did Europe First Develop a Taste for Coffee?

Ever wondered why your morning cup of coffee tastes the way it does—or where the tradition even started? The story isn’t about a hipster café in Berlin or a third-wave roaster in London. It begins much earlier, in the 1600s, when Europe first developed a real appetite for coffee. But back then, there was only one place on Earth supplying the roasted beans that fueled this growing craze: Yemen.

By the year 1700, Yemen produced around 20,000 metric tons of coffee beans—but even that wasn’t enough to meet Europe’s soaring demand. The port of Mocha became synonymous with coffee itself, exporting roasted beans that powered the continent’s first coffeehouses.

Europe’s First Coffee Imports Started in the 17th Century

Europe’s relationship with coffee began in earnest during the 17th century. At that time, the continent developed a small but growing demand for coffee, leading to the importation of small quantities of roasted coffee beans from Yemen. These weren’t green beans to be roasted at home—they were already roasted, ready to brew. This marked the earliest phase of structured coffee trade into Europe, centered entirely on Yemeni supply.

18th Century Demand Outpaced Yemen’s Production

By the 18th century, coffee culture exploded across European cities. Coffeehouses became ubiquitous, and consumption skyrocketed. The roasted beans from Yemen’s Mocha region, while highly prized, could no longer keep up with Europe’s rapidly increasing appetite. Estimates suggest that by the year 1700, Yemen was producing approximately 20,000 metric tons of coffee beans annually. Yet even that volume proved insufficient to satisfy the booming European market. As a result, coffee prices remained high, and Mocha port operated at unprecedented levels of export activity.

The Global Shift: From Yemen to European Colonies

While Yemen held a monopoly on coffee cultivation and trade, the Ottoman Empire prohibited coffee growing outside of Yemen. But the lure of profits was too great. European colonial powers, with access to vast territories and enslaved labor, saw an opportunity. By leveraging their overseas colonies and cheap labor forces, they began cultivating coffee outside Yemen—effectively breaking the Ottoman monopoly. After 1720, global coffee production shifted dramatically away from Yemen to plantations in Asia and the Americas. Regions like Java and Brazil rose in prominence, while Mocha’s dominance faded. By the late 18th century, Yemen’s role in the global coffee trade had diminished considerably.

The Origins of Global Coffee Cultivation

Prior to the 18th century, nearly all significant coffee cultivation occurred exclusively in Yemen. The Ottoman Empire maintained strict control, banning coffee cultivation in any region outside Yemen. Despite this, signs as early as the 1600s indicated that the empire struggled to maintain its exclusive grip on the highly profitable coffee trade. This tension set the stage for European powers to intervene and eventually redirect the flow of coffee cultivation to their own colonies.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Europe first start importing coffee?

Europe began importing small quantities of roasted coffee beans from Yemen in the 17th century, marking the start of its coffee consumption tradition.

Why was Mocha so important in coffee history?

Mocha, a port in Yemen, was the primary export hub for roasted coffee beans in the 17th and 18th centuries. Its beans were so dominant that the name “Mocha” became synonymous with coffee itself during that era.

What caused the shift from Yemeni to global coffee production?

By the early 18th century, Europe’s coffee demand outstripped Yemen’s production capacity. European colonial powers established coffee plantations in their overseas colonies, using enslaved labor to cultivate coffee, which eventually led to the decline of Yemen’s monopoly.

How much coffee did Yemen produce by 1700?

By the year 1700, Yemen was producing an estimated 20,000 metric tons of coffee beans annually, but this was not enough to meet the rapidly rising demand from Europe.

Where did coffee cultivation move to after Yemen?

After 1720, coffee production shifted to European colonies in Asia and the Americas, particularly Java and Brazil, which became major coffee-growing regions.

Did the Ottoman Empire try to control coffee production?

Yes, the Ottoman Empire prohibited coffee cultivation outside of Yemen in an attempt to maintain a monopoly on the lucrative coffee trade.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Exploring Asian Coffee

For those curious about the broader coffee world that replaced Yemen’s dominance, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Indonesian Lintong Mandheling, known for its bold herbal notes and complex profile of spices, toast, and caramel when roasted medium-dark. Or explore our Yunnan 2013 Typica, a balanced, beginner-friendly coffee with nutty, chocolatey, and tea-like qualities thanks to its sunny, high-altitude growing conditions. Both offer a taste of the regions that rose to fill Yemen’s shoes. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.