Yemen Ismaili the most prized of Yemen's rare coffees

Yemen is on the Arabian Peninsula, just a stone's throw from Africa across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Since there is no other 'Arabian' coffee, we group it with the coffee tastes that are North African.

Mokha is the port from which Yemeni coffee ships leave - it isn't a type of coffee, but the word Mocha/Moka/Mocca is often used to associate North African coffees with the flavour profile of Yemen.

Yemeni coffee is grown from ancient 'heirloom' varieties of coffea arabica, first naturalised hundreds of years ago.

The two most famous are Ismaili and Mattari.

The coffee is grown at very high altitudes (5000 ft +) Cultivation methods have changed little since the beginning - no synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides are used.

All traditional variety Yemens are small-bean coffees which are husked by millstone and screened and cleaned by hand. Bean size and colour are irregular.

Yemen is one of the world's most distinctive coffees - the acidity is bright and complex, with flavours ranging from fruity through to wine and dark chocolate. In the after taste, Yemen also displays a twist to the wine and fruit tones that some call wild or 'gamey'; the aroma is pungent and intense.