The ancient origins of coffee are a topic of much debate, with many coffee lovers, be sure to mention Yemen and Ethiopia and you will surely have a great topic of debate on your hands.

Coffee has a fascinating and very in depth history that traces back to the mountainous regions of Western Ethiopia, but it wasn't until the 12th century in Yemen that we find the earliest written records of coffee cultivation. It's believed that Ethiopian invaders brought the coffee plant across the Red Sea to the Arabian Peninsula, where it quickly became integral to Islamic culture. The exceptional growing conditions in the Yemeni highlands gave birth to the beloved species we now know as Coffea Arabica. Yemen coffee was born.

Once the Yemen coffee beans were harvested, they were then transported to the Red Sea port, known locally as Mocha. For centuries, this small city served as the primary gateway for international coffee trade. Ottoman rulers tightly controlled the export of coffee beans from Yemen, the rulers would not allow the trade or transportation of any green Yemen coffee beans and regulations were put in place that all beans had to be roasted to prevent germination.

Coffee soon spread through trade routes to Europe, and it acquired the name "mocha" due to its resemblance to chocolate.

However, coffee proved too enticing to be controlled by the Ottomans and sultans. Coffee seeds eventually made their way into the global market and Yemen's monopoly of the coffee market began to fade. The Dutch East India Company played a pivotal role by establishing a presence in the Yemeni port, as well as in Java and India. History states, a coffee tree was discreetly transported out of the region. Coffee plantations began to rise up around coffee growing regions and coffee farms around the world began to flourish; eventually contributing to the development of our modern global coffee industry that we know today!

Yemen Coffee Today