Spella Caffè proudly welcomes back this year’s crop of Yemen Mokka “Pearl of Tehama Khulani”- one of our community’s favorite rare and exceptional perennial offerings!

Yemen is the oldest territory on Earth to cultivate coffee. Its seed stock, originally transported from wild arabica landraces in Ethiopia, was used to create the world’s first ever coffee farms where coffee would be grown commercially for trade across the Arabian peninsula and eventually mainland Europe. In Yemen, every bean tells a story. A story of endurance. Of deep cultural pride. And of a people who, in the face of incredible odds, continue to grow one of the world’s most treasured coffees.

Yemen Mokka: Legacy, Reverence, and Resilience
Close your eyes and imagine yourself transported two centuries into the past, to the ancient highlands of Yemen. There, on terraced slopes etched into rugged mountains, coffee shrubs thrive under a radiant sun, nurtured in arid soils that have nourished life for generations. The air carries a warmth that’s more than just climate—it’s the warmth of tradition, of devotion to the land, of ancestral care despite ongoing hardship.

Yemen Mokka “Pearl of Tehama Khulani” is produced by 109 small legacy farmers producing in the high mountains of Yemen’s northwestern Sa’adah Governorate, who together comprise a grower coalition called the Khulani Coffee Society for Agricultural Development (KCSAD).

This extraordinary coffee was chosen by Andrea Spella, whose reverence for family traditions, generational craftsmanship, and excellence in flavor guides his careful selection. Andrea sought not just a bean, but a story—and he found it in the Yemen Mokka (also spelled Mocca, Mocha, or Moka), one of the most coveted and enduring coffees in the world. This season’s harvest arrived safely, and with great fortune, we have a rare and exquisite share of it to offer you.

What Makes This Coffee Exceptional?

Yemen is teeming with ancient beauty: the hanging ficus trees, their curling smoke rising gently to protect the precious coffee fruit from harm. This is not just agriculture—it is ritual, wisdom, and legacy intertwined. Yemen Mokka is born in this place, where every step of its cultivation echoes stories of perseverance and cultural pride holding steadfast to time-honored practices and harvesting with care that can only come from centuries of lived experience. As each generation grows coffee, they preserve a living thread of culture—a way of being that gives flavor, soul, and dignity to every cup.

“Khulani coffee” is widely regarded in Yemen as one of its best and most historic coffees processed naturally: hand-picked, sorted for consistency, and dried in a single layer in full sun on raised beds or rooftops. “Khulani” isn’t just a name; it’s a mark of origin, akin to “Kona,” signifying some of Yemen’s finest natural-processed coffees.

Growing Conditions

The regional coffee trees are spaced wide on narrow ledges, watered from hand-dug wells, and shaded with care to protect every drop of moisture. Raising young coffee trees in Yemen is a matter of hardening them for a lifetime of vicious elements and water scarcity. As can be imagined, productivity is very low in such conditions. Older coffee trees become very spacious and tall, and often end up hanging their branches over the terrace edge, known locally as “hanging gardens”. Canopy trees are carefully selected and positioned for how well they block water evaporation. These “hanging gardens” are a testament to centuries of hard-won farming wisdom. The farmers meet, share techniques, and teach the next generation the craft. At the heart of this movement is Pearl of Tehama, a family-run exporter rooted in tradition since 1970, now led by Ms. Fatoum Muslot and her son Yasser. Their mission goes beyond export: they train others, manage traceable harvests, and help keep Yemen’s coffee connected to the world.

Yemen’s coffee is more than a crop—it is the lifeblood of these resilient people. Amid challenges that test human limits, these farmers tend their land with devotion, ensuring the plants survive against all odds. The coffee trade sustains over a million people in Yemen, with hands like those of the Muslot family, the millers, and the exporters at Pearl of Tehama all woven into this remarkable journey to Spella Caffè.

Local Reality
Yemen’s suffering is profound—millions displaced, lives uprooted, and countless families facing scarcity. Among them, 65% of coffee producers in the western highlands continue to work, holding on to hope and heritage with unshakable spirit. Each time a new crop arrives, we pause—not just in gratitude, but in reverence. This coffee is a testament to enduring trust, like that between Royal Coffee and the Muslot family, which has survived through decades of turmoil and transformation.

Flavor and Brewing: A Ritual of Respect
The Yemen Mokka is a treasure—rare, expressive, and layered. To honor it is to brew it with intention. The most traditional method is the Arabic or Turkish style, using an ibrik (or briki, cezve, cezva)—each name a testament to the many cultures this coffee has touched.

As an espresso, the Mokka is a textural dream: bursting with crema and dense with notes of Mission figs, ancient cassia cinnamon, and bittersweet chocolate. Its body is bold, chewy, and immensely satisfying.

As a pour-over, the experience transforms into something luxurious and nostalgic: think chocolate cream pie, or Italian drinking chocolate. And in a Moka pot? The name speaks for itself.

Bean Production

A marvel of nature and craftsmanship, this coffee even improves with time, deepening in complexity like a fine wine. Andrea calls it the Everlasting Gobstopper of coffee—a playful nod to its endlessly evolving flavor. At 25 days post-roast, it still produces some of the finest espresso shots our roastery has ever experienced.

The Sa’adah Governorate Region
Yemen Mokka is a coffee born of resilience, grown on ancient terraces carved into Yemen’s rugged northern mountains. Nestled in Sa’adah Governorate, generations of smallholder farmers—members of the Khulani Coffee Society for Agricultural Development—tend heirloom trees passed down through families, defying drought, conflict, and steep terrain to preserve a legacy as old as coffee itself. This region is known not only for its elevation and climate, but the artistry of its processing. From ancient rooftops turned into drying beds to elevated platforms designed for optimal air circulation, the practices used elevate coffee to a cultural masterpiece. Once dried, the beans are sealed in Ecotact bags, safeguarding freshness on their long journey from mountain to cup here at Spella Caffè.

A Final Word
The Yemen Mokka is not just a coffee—it is a bridge between worlds, between past and present, between people who grow and those who savor. It invites us to slow down and taste not just flavor, but culture. With each sip, we honor the farmers’ dedication, the resilience of a people, and the timeless spirit of Yemeni tradition. This is coffee’s richest legacy. This is Yemen Mokka!

This remarkable coffee shines best as espresso, pour over, Moka Pot, or French Press.

We hope you savor this wonderful crop and consider gifting it to those you love this season. It is one of our most exquisite coffees. We know you will fall in love with this beautiful bean and treasure its lovely flavors in the still moments of the day.

Monday, May 19th 2025, there will be limited retail bags sold online and in our caffès for a short time; small batches available every other Monday on our website in our online shop.

Enjoy your own Yemen Mokka at home by visiting Spella’s online shop or one of our fabulous caffès!

Available at our caffès located at Alder Street and Woodblock Chocolate.

Yemen Mokka: A Tribute to Legacy, Reverence, and Resilience