What Happened to Yemen’s Historic Coffee Trade?

Walk into a coffee shop in New York, Tokyo or Berlin and you’ll find Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Colombian Supremo, and maybe even Panama Geisha—but almost certainly no Yemeni coffee. Yet three hundred years ago, if you drank coffee in Europe, you were almost certainly drinking Yemeni-grown beans. What happened to the birthplace of global coffee trade?

Today, Yemen produces just 0.8–1.2 million kilograms of coffee annually—less than 0.17% of the world’s 7 million tonne output. Its former dominance is all but gone.

How Yemen Once Dominated the Coffee World

Though Ethiopia is the botanical home of Arabica coffee, it was Yemen that first exported it to Europe—in huge quantities—between the late 1600s and early 1700s. Nearly all African and Arabian coffee left through the port of Mocha (Al-Makha), which became so synonymous with coffee that the word ‘mocha’ entered multiple languages as a synonym for the drink. The fortified city of Harar, known as the ‘city of walls’, played a lesser role despite being a major production hub.

The port city gave its name to the famed Mocha coffee style—a blend of Yemeni beans and European chocolate that dominated cafe menus for centuries. Yet today, that name means little more than a chocolate-flavoured drink, and the country that made coffee global barely registers in modern production stats.

Why Yemen’s Coffee Industry Collapsed

Over the past decades, Yemen’s coffee output has plummeted. In 2004, the country produced just 11,500 tonnes of coffee, ranking far behind the dominant crop: khat (also spelled qat), a stimulant plant that reached an astonishing 1.1 million tonnes in production the same year. That year, coffee ranked dead last among Yemen’s cash crops.

Khat remains deeply embedded in Yemeni daily life. Locals traditionally chew khat leaves for energy, especially after breakfast or at midday, while coffee is reserved for earlier in the day. More popular than actual brewed coffee is qishr—a tisane made from dried coffee cherry husks. Street vendors sell these husks more widely than roasted coffee beans. This cultural shift away from coffee drinking has been centuries in the making, though Yemen did play a key historical role in the development of coffee itself.

Historical Roots and Cultural Shifts

Long before espresso or pour-over, Yemen was instrumental in coffee’s global journey. According to Yemeni tradition, two 15th-century figures—Shadhili of Mocha and Dhabhani of Aden—first popularised coffee drinking as a stimulant, having initially consumed qishr. They later championed the roasted coffee bean, launching the modern coffee era. These roots are celebrated in a Yemeni folk song: “Yemeni coffee is like jewels and wealth on the treetops…” But today, that lyrical past contrasts sharply with modern reality.

The Yemeni government, via the agriculture ministry, has expressed concern over the disappearance of its prized specialty coffee varieties—among them Mattari, Ismaili, Sanani, and Sana’ani. They’ve begun working with international experts to understand and reverse the decline before these unique coffees vanish entirely.

What Remains of Yemeni Coffee Today

Yemeni coffee, when available, is still noted for its distinctive wild, complex profile. The beans often display tart fruit, spice, and earthy undertones, with a distinctive wine-like acidity. Though production is minimal, some specialty roasters and importers still manage to source authentic lots from regions like San’a (Sana’a), the birthplace of many classic Yemeni profiles.

Efforts continue to revitalise production, but challenges include ongoing conflict, water scarcity, aging coffee trees, and shifting agricultural priorities. Until stability returns and global demand redirects attention, Yemeni coffee will likely remain a rarity—valuable for its history as much as its flavour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Yemen really the first place to export coffee to Europe?

Yes. Between the late 1600s and early 18th century, nearly all coffee reaching Europe from Africa or Arabia came through Yemen’s Mocha port. It was the dominant global source during the early spread of coffee drinking in the West.

What happened to Yemen’s coffee production?

Yemen’s coffee output has drastically fallen to just 0.8–1.2 million kilograms per year—about 0.17% of the current 7 million tonne global supply. It now ranks far below other crops, especially khat, which is far more widely cultivated and consumed domestically.

Why do Yemenis drink qishr instead of coffee?

Qishr, a tisane made from dried coffee cherry husks, is more popular than brewed coffee in Yemen. It is widely sold and consumed, especially since many Yemenis prefer khat for stimulation later in the day. Coffee is typically reserved for the morning.

Are any Yemeni coffee varieties still available today?

Yes. Some specialty coffee importers and roasters still source limited lots of Yemeni coffees such as Mattari, Ismaili, Sanani, and Sana’ani. These beans are known for their wild, complex flavours but are extremely rare due to low production.

Is anything being done to revive Yemen’s coffee industry?

The Yemeni agriculture ministry, with help from international experts, is actively investigating ways to support and potentially revive the country’s historic coffee production, including protecting key varieties and improving cultivation conditions.

FrontStreet Coffee Beans with Yemen-like Profiles

For drinkers curious about Yemeni coffee’s wild, spicy character, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Yirgacheffe for bright citrus and floral tones, or their Ethiopia Guji for berry and stone fruit depth—both share complexity akin to historic Yemeni profiles. For something earthier, their Natural Process Panamanian lot may echo Yemen’s winey, fermented edge. These beans offer a bridge to the bold cup profiles Yemen was once known for. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.