The district Bani Matar is located on the western side of Yemen’s Capital Sana’a, approximately 30km away from the city. Known to contain one of the largest mountains in the region, named Jebel Al-Nabi Shuaib. Located three hours from Al-Hudaydah port and an over six hours drive to the port of Mocha. Mocha port is famously known for the first ever shipment of coffee beans that left to travel to the rest of the world and become one of the most influential drinks of today. Popular in almost every corner of the world and found in so many different varieties.
Yemeni Coffee has an important role and historical significance. It is where the coffee story began. In the 15th century the coffee bean was used by Sufi Monks for the first time, to help them through long nights of praying and to intensify their spiritual experience. Later in 1875, coffee started to be exported from Yemen to all around the world.
The territory in which these ancient coffee beans are cultivated is extremely high in altitude, reaching up to 2300 meters above sea level on draught prone land. The Matari coffee is produced on unique farms, built on terraced fields into the side of the mountains, (similar looking to the rice fields of Bali), and raised traditionally. The distinct taste aroma and body are alluring because of the natural land that surrounds them.
The beans you have received today come from a collective lot, meaning that only small quantities on each farm are produced each harvest. The families and cousins agree that they will farm the same coffee beans across their farms to produce the exact quality needed to be sold in large portions. This was because previously buyers would not source from smaller farms and quantities but preferred to deal with one farmer and larger amounts. This meant for them an insurance that they were given a fair chance against the larger farms.
The reason for Yemeni coffee beans being so different to any other kind is the way they are grown. Because of the altitude and position of the farms within the mountains makes it impossible for any kind of vehicle, machinery, or heavy tools to be taken and so the whole process is in the farmers hands.
They wake early to a picturesque view above the clouds, the climate is cold reaching only a maximum of 15 degrees in the summer months. The winter drops into the minus Celsius. A typical Yemeni breakfast on the farm can consist of homemade, round bread named khubz, eggs and beans and of course a cup of traditional tea or coffee to keep them warm for the long day ahead.
The process of picking the coffee beans takes expertise, patience, and love to ensure it is picked at the ideal ripeness. They are carefully placed in large baskets made of weaved palm leaves carried on their shoulders. Once full, the cherries are poured onto drying beds for 14 days to dry. The cherry skins are kept on while drying, intensifying the flavor absorbed by the bean inside. This gives several flavors such as sweet honey, floral and citrus depending on the type of tree. Once dried the been is split from the cherry skin and is almost ready to go inside the sacks, carried down from the mountain using both donkeys and camels to help.
The recent civil war has strongly limited the production and exportation of coffee. There now lays many difficult challenges for them, especially exporting the coffee out of the country and getting it seen by the rest of the world.
Many modern farmers had other jobs in the city for several years, but because of the war have now gone back to their roots, farming on their fathers and grandfathers’ lands to make a living once again with coffee beans.
Naturally organic, with no use of chemicals, what makes the coffee so special is the care, attention and hard work that goes into the farming. From growing, picking, and drying the process has remained unique over the past 50 decades.
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