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Legend
has it that coffee was first discovered when a
Yemeni goat herder named Khaldi, while tending his
goats one night, noticed that his normally docile
flock was dancing excitedly near a bush bearing
clusters of bright red berries. Soon, he too joined
the starlit merriment that evening. Word of Khaldi
and his goats spread to the local monastery where
the local Inman priest found that the mysterious
berries helped him stay awake during his lengthy
prayers each night. |
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History has proven
that coffee actually originated in nearby Ethiopia,
but while coffee may have been born there, it can be
said that it was raised in Yemen, where nomadic
traders are believed to have introduced it sometime
during the fifteenth century. The earliest records
of coffee suggest that it was used as medicine in
its raw or green state and 100 years or so passed
before it was brewed as a beverage in a manner
similar to what we enjoy today. |
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The first
coffeehouses were opened in Arabia and were called
Kaveh Kanes. Their popularity quickly spread
throughout that part of the world and before long
they became places where board games were played,
gossip flowed freely, and much song and merriment
were enjoyed. |
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Their décor was
typically luxurious and exotic, each with its
individual character. These were something new and
exciting, comfortable places where anyone could go
to conduct business or socialize, simply for the
price of a cup of coffee. Not unlike similar
bohemian-like getaways in modern times, they also
were often counter cultural and political and
eventually were shut down for decades until common
ground was achieved resulting in their taxation. |
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Located on the
southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen is
bordered by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in the
Arabian Sea. Bereft of the oil resources and wealth
common to many Arab nations, Yemen is rich with
magnificent and captivating natural wonders which
far surpass her neighbors. This land of the Queen of
Sheba is home to ancient, fortress-like villages set
atop craggy mountains, fertile valleys surrounded by
vast, windswept deserts, dreamlike beaches,
picturesque urban settlements, both ancient and
modern, populated with colorful, bustling Arabian
markets. |
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Unlike her
wealthier neighbors to the north, Yemen is one of
the World’s poorest nations. About half of the
country’s population is supported by agriculture
which is a constant challenge due to a perpetual
lack of water. It is awe inspiring, considering our
western dependence in technology, that coffee is
grown and processed in Yemen much the same way is
has been for 500 years and that for the most part,
it remains harmonious to both the culture and the
environment. Most of it is grown on spectacular
terraces clinging to dusty mountainsides, below
ancient geometric villages. The misty summer rains
arrive as the coffee trees are blossoming and their
fruit is forming, bringing the hills to life with
multitudes of small but lush leafy green trees. As
autumn approaches, the air dries and the fruit
ripens, is picked, and then set out to dry on nearby
rooftops. |
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For centuries, the
coffee production cycle in Yemen has been a mainstay
of employment and income for its people. The process
is done almost entirely by hand. One visitor to
Yemen noted how a prominent coffee family there was
contemplating the purchase of a machine sorter. The
equation for them became the balance between
increased yields and perhaps market prices from the
use of the machine verses the 100 jobs – mostly for
local woman – as hand sorters. They determined that
with the purchase of the machine, all of the jobs
would remain as well. Keeping the jobs would be a
matter of family honor and recognized as a necessity
in an area where survival as a farmer depends on
maintaining equilibrium between the cultural and
economic variables that have existed in a delicate
balance for hundreds of years. |
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The uniqueness of
Yemeni coffee beans brought about by the rarified
air at 3,000 feet above sea level and the bright
desert mountain sunlight combine to make an
irresistible flavor when roasted. The scarcity of
the beans resulting from their limited production
make Yemeni coffee a rare treat, even in Yemen! |
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