Red Agate

A port city on the red sea coast of Yemen. Until Aden and alhudaydah eclipsed in the 19th century, Mocha was the principal port for Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. Mocha was the major marketplace for coffee (coffee Arabica) from the 15th century until the early 18th century. Even after other sources of coffee were found, Mocha beans (also called sanani or Mocha sanani beans, meaning from Sana’a) continued to be prized for their distinctive flavor and remain so even today. The coffee itself did not grow in Mocha, but was transported from places inland to the port in Mocha, where it was shipped abroad. Mocha’s coffee legacy is reflected in the name of the mocha latte and Moka pot coffee maker.