Yemen’s Coffee Farmers and Growers, the Real Heroes of One of North America’s Most Consumed Beverages

Today’s good mood is sponsored by coffee.”

There is a reason for all of the amusing, yet highly applicable, sayings about coffee.

For many, it is an absolute necessity in life!

Coffee is what wakes people up in the morning, gives them the power to take on their day, and is quite often the catalyst for some people’s best work being done. 

Mokha Bunn, which is now offering an extraordinary coffee experience in Canada that stems back to ancient traditions in the country of Yemen, is exactly the reason for many Canadians having a renewed sense of pep in their step! 

Receiving first place in the 2019 Chilean Brewers Cup Championship, Mokha Bunn has earned its right to be the coffee of choice for those seeking quality, taste, and consistency. With their robust assortment of coffee, they offer variety and life-long traditions packaged in just a cup.

What’s more, is that Mokha Bunn has brought back the significance of what it means to take pleasure in the simple things and the special moments. They are a company that takes pride in their heritage and continues to bring it to their customers in every coffee that is offered. 

Co-Founders Mustafa, with a deep love for the unmatched smell of freshly brewed coffee from his country, and Jihad, a Yemeni Canadian who for years sought out a coffee that would satisfy her tastebuds and bring back memories of her beloved homeland, have learned that providing a quality coffee is so much more than variety and taste.

While coffee lovers certainly appreciate those attributes, they also value the stories behind the brand which often connect them to it even more.

Beginning in 1536, the majority of coffees across Europe and Turkey were from beans grown in Yemen. And two of the oldest records of when coffee was initially enjoyed are linked to Arab culture.

Regardless of the exact time and date, coffee has become an inherent part of the Yemeni culture and economic foundations and began being traded on a global level centuries ago. As the decades passed by, coffee was planted across many more countries but the importance of it stemming from Yemen is two-fold.

The two main varieties of coffee, Typica, and Bourbon (that are traced back to Yemen) are considered by World Coffee Research to be the most culturally and genetically important groups of c. arabica coffees in the world. And from these, many of the coffees found in countries like Brazil, El Salvador, and Indonesia all descend from these two variations.

To this day, Yemeni coffee farmers maintain the same proven process that has always been used to produce coffee which preserves the full-bodied taste and unique quality. Centuries ago, Yemen was the main influence over the coffee market but today it represents a very small percentage.

As a result, the demand is considerably high because of the quality, fully traceable, organically processed, and impeccable varieties of micro-lot coffees that were derived from the Yemen culture. 

But it is the heroes behind the beans that often go quite unnoticed and are crucial to the happiness of the billions enjoying the fruits of their labor.

These men and women are the farmers who take great care to produce and deliver the utmost in quality to the end consumer by way of businesses and wholesalers.

And Mokha Bunn does its part to ensure the farmers’ fulfillment by guaranteeing a premium payroll that enables them to continue improving their skills so that they may enjoy a better life. 

The entire process of Mokha Bunn coffee, in addition to the fact that they offer different specialty coffees from different regions in Yemen, is one of many things that makes it so unique.

The traditional method, that the Yemen farmers currently use, has been used for hundreds of years and ensures that the original coffee characteristics remain intact from start to finish. Farmers handpick the cherries at their peak and then are run through a fine-tuned process including hand sorting and a floating system where potentially defective beans are removed.

Next, they are spread out on raised beds, or the rooftops of farmers’ or growers’ homes, and in the sun to dry naturally.

This process can last between 16 and 22 days depending on the climate, which is also an important factor as most coffee plants in Yemen are refined at some of the world’s highest altitudes ranging from 1,800 – 2,700 meters above sea level.

This climate makes the beans smaller, more compact, and provides a wonderful complexity to the flavor, intense sweetness, and an explosion of fruity notes.

The next step involves the dried cherries going into a hulling machine to separate the husk from the beans, the team hand sorts the beans, packs them up and they are shipped to Canada.

Once they arrive, they immediately start profiling each coffee to determine which roasting profile brings out all of the exotic needs desired for the perfect cup of coffee. 

Not only has Mokha Bunn captured the spirit and essence of the true Yemen coffees but they have continued to work with the farmers and growers who have for hundreds of years embraced all that coffee represents – ancient traditions, family, enjoyment, and great memories.

They are a company that celebrates life’s important moments and those who make them possible by delivering best-in-class quality and flavor. 

All you need is love…and a good cup of coffee!”