Mocha coffee’s name links to Yemeni port city
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Houthi forces recently captured Mokka (Al-Mokha), a strategically important port city on the Red Sea in Yemen, a place with a historical connection to coffee.
From the 16th century, Europeans developed a botanical interest in coffee grown in Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula. By the 17th century, trade in coffee beans began as the drink gained popularity in Europe, and coffee from Yemen quickly became known as mokka coffee.
The coffee plant originated in southeastern Ethiopia, but quickly spread to Yemen due to its proximity. Arab farmers began cultivating coffee there, and the highlands around Mokka proved ideal for growing the crop. Mokka’s port location allowed farmers to efficiently ship beans, establishing the city as a key hub in the European coffee trade. While Yemen still grows coffee today, considered a high-quality specialty coffee with a unique flavor, it is no longer a major producer.
Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia now lead in coffee production. However, Yemeni coffee plants have adapted to changing climates over centuries, allowing them to continue thriving when crops in other regions face threats.
