Let's briefly look at the history of coffee in Yemen: In 1450, Yemeni Sufi monks discovered the invigorating drink for themselves, which enabled them to stay awake and meditate all night long. The Sufis shared their discovery with pilgrims, who took coffee around the world. First to Mecca, and from there to the metropolises of Cairo, Damascus and Istanbul. Around 1650, coffee consumption slowly reached Europe and ensured that coffee was shipped from the port city of Al Mocha all over the world. In the 18th century, the monopoly ended because many countries followed suit with coffee production. Today, the country's global export share is just 0.1% . Nevertheless, Yemeni coffee still enjoys a very special status among friends of microlot coffee. All of this background motivates Sheba Coffee to start a new era of Yemeni coffee. We at the Wildkaffee Rösterei are very happy to present you our new coffee from this country and to bring a piece of Arabic coffee history to Germany.
Microlot Coffee - Where in Yemen does the coffee come from?
As mentioned above, we were able to purchase 5 specialty coffees at the Sheba Coffee Auction: Haraz 03, Haraz 04 , Hayma 07, Anis 01 and Anis 02. You can read where exactly this coffee comes from and many other interesting facts in the following section.
Haraz growing region
The growing area is located on the edge of the province of Sana'a. It is the most famous coffee growing area in the whole country. With its high mountains and wild landscape, the Haraz region is commonly known as the land above the clouds. The region is a leader in coffee growing and has always maintained its ancient cultivation methods. Today, Haraz is a pioneer in the revival of Yemeni coffee specialties , with many regional neighbors taking their example from the coffee farmers of Haraz.
We were able to secure the Haraz 03/04 coffee. Both were grown between 1,700 and 1,900 meters by the Eastern Haraz Collective from East Haraz and by farmer Mohamed Awab Shibam from Attara. While the microlot from East Haraz belongs to the Jadi variety and is processed naturally, the microlot from Attara comes from the Jufini variety, which is processed anaerobically. Both varieties are dried for 2-3 weeks .
Al Hayma growing region
The Al Hayma growing region is also on the outskirts of the province of Sana'a . The very high growing region has a harsh climate. Due to the high temperatures and the resulting drought, Al Hayma is a region with a very low harvest yield. In some villages, the harvest is no higher than 15 tonnes of coffee cherries , which corresponds to a quantity of around 1.5 tonnes . But it is not the quantity that counts, but the taste. The microlot from Al Hayma is a real speciality. The harvest phase in this remote mountain region is the last in the country, as the cherries need significantly more time to reach optimal ripeness.
At the auction we were able to secure the Microlot Hayma 07. This was grown by the former military officer Naji Hussain Ahsen Al-Jaberi in the village of Al Mahjar. The Udaini variety is grown at almost 2,250 meters and dried for 2-3 weeks after harvest and processed naturally .
Anise growing region
The Anis growing region is located in the middle of the Dhamar province . In recent years, the region has become an increasingly important competitor in coffee cultivation. Compared to the other two regions, the land in Dhamar is more fertile and therefore ensures a significantly higher yield. The coffee is grown here both in the valleys surrounded by mountains and on the surrounding mountains. Due to the great potential and the aroused interest of the coffee world, the Anis region is definitely on the rise.
At the Sheba Coffee Auction we bought the two microlots Anis 01 and 02 from the villages of Al Shat and Al Saraba. The microlot coffee grows between 1,900 and 2,100 meters and is grown and harvested by farmer Abdullah Mohamed Ali Tamesh and the Wadi Al Saraba collective. Anis/01 comes from the Dwairi variety, while Anis/02 belongs to the Udaini variety. Here too, both varieties are dried for 2-3 weeks and processed naturally .
When & Where is Specialty Coffee from Yemen available?
The 5 varieties have different properties and of course taste differences. That's why we sell them as single varieties. Each microlot gets its own individual roast. Our roasters Leonhard Wild and Josef Staltmayr want to get the best out of the coffee and highlight the unique taste of each individual variety from Yemen.
We look forward to your orders and of course to your experiences with these really interesting coffees. Enjoy and #staywild !
