Coffee Cultivation in Yemen

Timeline

1. c. 1501–1505Haraz and the area around Sana'a, Yemen · YemenIn the early 16th century Yemeni farmers built terraces at 1,500–2,000 meters to grow coffee trees, using monsoon rains and shade management. Coffee cherries were sun-dried or wet-processed, then roasted and ground into a daily beverage; Sufi practitioners used it to stay awake for night prayers.
2. c. 1505–1510Mocha port · Red SeaCoffee beans began shipping from the Red Sea port of Mocha to Ethiopia, Egypt, and the Hejaz. Though large-scale international trade of the later 17th century had not yet formed, Yemen was established as the sole export source of Arabian coffee, and the name Mocha later became synonymous with coffee trade.