Yemen Mocha Coffee Beans

Grown traditionally without chemicals (e.g., organic) in Yemen, Mocha is a wild, dry processed (natural) coffee, usually full-bodied with a rich, winey acidity.

The flavor is often described as complex, very earthy and deep, and with a distinct pungency. Yemen Mocha may also exhibit a musky fruitiness, and a chocolaty aftertaste.

Yemen Mocha – Lively with Overlays of Cinnamon

Yemen Mocha coffee is described as lively, even a bit gamey. The pleasant wildness of Yemen Mocha has overlays of dry cinnamon, cardamom, and dry fruits (e.g., raisins) and occasional notes of tobacco, wood, roasted nuts, or sweet spice.

Rich chocolate tones and hints of fruit and wine are noticeable when the Mocha coffee beans are given a Dark Roast which also intensifies the taste and aroma as well as the coffee’s body.

Yemen Mocha Coffee Farming

Mocha is grown in Yemen near the Red Sea in the mountainous region on the Arabian peninsula’s southern tip—the coffee is named after the ancient port there.

Some of the finest Yemen Mocha is grown in northern Yemen just like it was a millennium ago on irrigated terraces on the region’s semiarid mountains where the water is channeled to the plants in rock-lined channels and rows of poplar trees shade the plants from the heat of the desert sun.

Marketing Mocha Coffee – Mattari and Sanani

Mocha coffee is marked as either Mattari (which has chocolate overtones and a heavier body) or Sanani (which is more balanced and with a fruity character).

Mocha Sanani coffee is known for its complexity and exotic pungency, while Mattari coffee (which is sometimes blended with Yemen Mocha coffee), is distinguished for its winey acidity.

Mocha Java Coffee

Of course Mocha coffee is most famous for the blend it creates with Indonesian Java Arabica coffee. Mocha Java is a traditional favorite with an interesting story. (See World’s Best History of Coffee.)

Mocha coffee is one of the first coffees to be cultivated on Earth, and continues today to be a coffee bean that is highly valued by specialty coffee lovers. Yemen Mocha is also referred to as Arabian Mocha coffee.

Yemen Mocha Coffee and Espresso Brewing Tips

For tips on brewing the perfect cup of Yemen Mocha coffee see the Espresso Coffee Guide’s section on Coffee Brewing.

For easy to follow instructions on how to make great Yemen Mocha espresso drinks see Espresso Drink Recipes and the How to make a Latte. Also provided are tips on Pulling A Perfect Espresso Shot.