CoffeeForums Coffee Facts

How about a nice cup of mocha? Let's break out the coffee and chocolate and enjoy. Wait a minute. Mocha doesn't have chocolate in it. The truth is that many people, even experienced coffee drinkers, don't realize that mocha is a type of coffee that grows and is processed on the southern tip of Saudi Arabia and is the worlds first commercially exported coffee. The port of Moka, in the nation of Yemen, is the port that shipped Yemeni mocha coffee for hundreds of years and this coffee is still used as a standard by which all other coffees are judged. It closely resembles, in taste and aroma, of some of the Ethiopian coffees, both of which are grown in similar soils and temperatures and are both dry-processed.

Yemen coffee mocha has a faintly acid taste and is reminiscent of chocolate which gives it its unique taste which has caused all the confusion. True Arabian mocha however comes directly from the mountains of Yemen where is has been grown for half a millennia on the ancient terraces and hand processed. Dry processing is processing the beans with the fruit still attached to them. Once the fruit and bean have gone through a rigorous inspection and have fully dried the locals remove the fruit from the bean with a millstone. The resulting coffee is sweet and very light. The Yemenis mix in several spices, boil the mixtures and then cool the cup to room temperature which results in a great thirst quencher and energy drink.

The bean used in Yemen mocha is from the coffea Arabica and the only place in the world that these beans will grow is in southern Saudi Arabia and a few parts of Ethiopia. There are literally hundreds of types of beans grown in this region and most of them are not in anyway known outside the region.

Finding true Yemen mocha can be a challenge also. Market names vary considerably and some refer to both the bean and the tree from which it is grown, increasing the confusion. It is usually best to understand that the name usually means the region the bean is grown in and not the type of bean being offered.

Yemen mocha is a small piece of history and enjoying a cup, or several cups, is a must for all coffee lovers. Take the time, pour a cup of genuine Yemen mocha coffee and decide for yourself if this is a bean you want to mix and match with.