The Red Sea often makes headlines as the launch site for attacks on oil tankers and infrastructure by the Houthi rebels, a political and religious group that controls much of the northern and western areas of Yemen. But the history of this vital shipping route was once defined by the passage of another dark, liquid source of energy: coffee.

The Yemeni port of Mocha built its fortunes largely on coffee cultivated in Yemen’s highlands and shipped from its port to markets across the Middle East, Europe and beyond. Merchants from Arabia, India, Africa and Europe passed through its docks, making it a cosmopolitan crossroads long before the modern era.

Mocha gave its name to the coffee that travelled west and, centuries later, to the Moka pot, the ubiquitous Italian-designed stovetop espresso maker found in homes across Europe. While espresso is now synonymous with Italian culture, the beverage’s story traces back through centuries of trade routes to this Yemeni port town.

Today, Yemen continues to shape the coffee trade. Over a quarter of Europe’s total coffee imports come from South East Asia – mostly Vietnam, as well as Indonesia and India. Until recently, all of this passed through the Red Sea, but since late 2023, Houthi attacks have made it unsafe for vessels to reach the Suez Canal. Instead, many ships sailing between Asia and Europe are rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope, an expensive 11,000km detour that takes them around the southern tip of Africa.

The conflict’s impact is being felt far and wide. As Italians panic over the price of their espresso, drinkers across Europe are switching to whole Arabica beans instead of Robusta, to savour smaller amounts of better quality coffee. The head of Italian coffee manufacturer Lavazza has warned that the entire supply chain is under intense pressure.

The history of Yemen – including the birth of the Houthis themselves – remains inextricably linked to the rise and fall of its centuries-long dominance over the global coffee trade.

The history of Mocha is a two-act tragedy, a story of ecological ruin........

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