Yemeni Mocha. November 12, 2025. Photo by Malak Baalawi.
by Malak Baalawi
"The first sip is always a warm, welcoming hug."
As I begin to prepare the mocha, my guests settle into my living room. I take out small blue floral finjan cups and the necessary ingredients: cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and the star of the night, Yemeni mocha coffee grounds. After our favorite drink brews and its sweet aroma fills the space, joy lights up the faces around me, each excited to take that satisfying first sip. Yemeni mocha is much more than a quick drink before work or a buzz of energy during finals week. It is a drink of celebration and everyday alike that spreads kindness and demonstrates a love for community.
While serving the Yemeni brew to my relatives, my mind drifts to the days when I would drink Yemeni coffee in a to-go cup from my favorite local cafe and not my homemade caffeine fix. I often find myself going to Qawah House in Ann Arbor. At the front counter, I place my classic go-to order, and of course, the barista recognizes me as I pay for their infamous iced Yemeni mocha. Qawah House is home to authentic, premium organic coffee made with love and care, as stated on the outside banner of their cafe shop. At times, while I wait for my order to be made, my feet shuffle slowly, making their way by the mural, and my eyes linger across the brown walls, taking in the rich history of coffee. From time to time, Ibrahim Alhasbani, the owner, comes around to each table and checks in with his customers, making sure the service and taste live up to the Qahwah House standards, attesting to “every step, from cultivation to your cup, reflecting our unwavering passion and respect for the craft” (“About ”).
The Yemeni coffee distribution mural in Qawah House. November 12, 2025. Photo by Malak Baalawi.
Qawah House Cafe environment. November 12, 2025. Photo by Malak Baalawi.
The mural story shines a light on the rich coffee history. Yemeni mocha received its name from the Al-Mokha city port in Yemen. It's often forgotten, but Yemen is one of the many places that have cultivated coffee for many centuries. Yemen is the birthplace of the coffee we now drink that has been roasted, ground, and brewed (Maynard). Another source, the Aran Journal, serves as “... a key entrepôt in the extensive trade networks connecting India, the Red Sea region, the Indian Ocean and the broader Mediterranean sphere” (Mancini). Each cup is filled with a story that lives up to its history. I grew up drinking this drink during holidays and family gatherings. It is bizarre to think of how the coffee grounds on my kitchen counter, waiting for me to brew, have been traded globally. Now it's in many of the drinks I enjoy daily.
Even its name, carries its own unique history “Mokha is usually spelled in the trade as “Mocca” or “Mocha” or “Moka” but in fact the most correct spelling is the one you will never see: “Al-Mahka”, which is the truest to the Arabic spelling” (Owen). It serves as a reminder that the drink moved from country to country and culture to culture. The name slowly moved from its truest Arabic spelling to the "mocha" term we know today!
As my internal history moment fades, I realize the night comes to an end and go to the kitchen to brew my second batch. I make sure to keep the coffee less sweet this time, with more sugar on the side for people to add to their liking. In Yemeni culture, coffee is savored twice, once when you enter and once before you leave.
As the friends and I take the last couple of sips of our mocha, the sweetness lingering, it is like a gentle goodbye until the next time.
Work Cited
“About Qawah House.” Qawah House, 2017, https://qahwahhouse.com/about-us/.Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
Baalawi, Malak. Photo of the coffee mural. 12 Nov. 2025. Author's personal collection.
Baalawi, Malak. Photo of the coffee mocha. 12 Nov. 2025. Author's personal collection.
Baalawi, Malak. Photo of cafe environment. 12 Nov. 2025. Author's personal collection.
Mancini, Serenella. “Documenting Change: The Architectural Heritage of Mocha and Loheia (Yemen).” Aran Journal of Language and Humanities, vol. 1, no. 1, Aug. 2025, https://doi.org/10.24271/arn.025-01-01-sc-31. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Maynard, Micheline. “Move Over, Cold Brew, Yemeni Coffee Is Having a Moment.” Food & Wine, 19 June 2025, https://www.foodandwine.com/yemeni-coffee-explainer-11756881. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Owen, Thompson. “Yemen Coffee Overview.” Sweet Maria’s Coffee Library library.sweetmarias.com/coffee-producing-countries/arabian-coffee-overview/yemen-coffee-overview/. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.