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Before coffee was known and grown throughout the coffee regions of the world, there was only one place to get it; the port of Mocha in Yemen. The coffee tree was actually discovered in Aden north of Yemen and also across the narrow Red Sea in Ethiopia. However, the coffee bean was exported throughout the world from the Yemenese port of “Mokha” Mocha in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula; which was at the time called Arabia. Arabia is where the coffee lovers of the world received the beans that transformed into their passion drink. Hence, coffee was given the name “Arabica”. The port of Mocha has since been blocked by a sandbar, when the Ottoman Turks which were the rulers of Arabia at the time, saw coffee as a precious commodity as in oil today. In fact, an international crisis was developed in Europe regarding national security concern. That situation was created as a result of continuous friction between the Eastern power of The Ottoman Empire and the Western Powers of the European Christendom. The black coffee that is coming from the East is causing an awakening to miserable economical, social and political conditions of European Principalities at the time. Even Pope Clement VIII in the 1600’s after the interference from the threatened princes of Europe, then, issued a decree from the Vatican prohibiting the Evil black drink from being consumed within old Europe. It was the Catholic Spanish and Portuguese traders of coffee that was coming from their plantations in South America that caused coffee to become accepted again in Europe, and to regain its reputation among other favorable drinks.
The coffee that is coming out of Yemen today is still sometimes referred to as “mocha”. The name “mocha” also expresses the flavor of combined coffee and chocolate. The renowned chocolatey aftertaste of Yemen coffee takes the credit. Yemen coffee is grown now as it was in ancient times. The trees line terraces attached to dry mountainous terrain. Poplar trees are planted to shade the coffee plants from the merciless sun. The beans are processed naturally, which explains their rough appearance. The farmers pick the coffee berries and spread them under the sun until the red pulp dries and separates from the coffee beans inside. By drying with pulp still on beans the juice of the pulp will integrate with beans and add other characteristics to the dried coffee beans. This type of coffee from Yemen is very distinct, and when consumed it cleans the palate with a dry wine-like quality. Also, an aftertaste of chocolate is sometimes noted. It is truly one of the best and the rare coffee of the world. Indeed, most of the coffee production in Yemen is already reserved for sale within the oil rich countries of Arabia, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Emirates, Qatar and others. In The United States Mitalena Coffee is among few roasters who carry Yemen Mocha Matari coffee and can be obtained from certain coffee brokers and importers in New York.
© Copyright 1999 United Intertrade, Inc.
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