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Blue Mountain Coffee History

Why is this coffee the best in the world?
100% Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is considered black gold and known for it's flavor. Treasured by many, this rare coffee has a sweet, smooth, mild flavor in a balanced cup. The Blue Mountains in Jamaica rise almost as steeply as a stage curtain behind the city of Kingston. The Blue Mountains of Jamaica are immensely fertile, their camelback ridges cultivate coffee crops between 3,500 and 5,000 feet, thus making it is one of the highest grown coffees in the world. Most importantly the Blue Mountains are home to a coffee that is renowned by coffee connoisseurs throughout the world.

How did coffee get to Jamaica?
Coffee found its way to Jamaica in 1728 when Sir Nicholas Lawes, Governor of Jamaica, imported Arabica seedlings from the Island of Martinique. The country was ideal for this cultivation and nine years after its introduction 83,000 lbs. of coffee was exported. In 1891 legislation was passed to provide instructions in the art of cultivation and curing coffee by sending to certain districts, competent instructors. Efforts were made to increase the production of coffee and to establish a Central Coffee Work for processing and grading. In June 1950 the Coffee Industry Board was established to officially raise and maintain the quality of coffee exported. The Blue Mountain region is in the Eastern part of the island, and only coffee grown within can be called JBM. The new home of these seedlings proved to be fruitful and coffee production expanded. Government support and instruction in the art of cultivation allowed the industry to develop in reputation and quality.

Why does this coffee cost more than the coffee I get at the grocery store?
The exceptionally high quality of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee has led to restricted availability. The geographical area of the Blue Mountains is limited and carefully defined. More importantly, though, the Japanese purchase over 85 percent of the total product (they also have large investments in the industry). The rest of the world is forced to wrestle to secure the remaining 15 percent for themselves. Blue Mountain is the most expensive coffee in the world because of the high-quality of each hand-picked bean. Its retail value at some of the world’s most distinguished coffee shops has been known to cost US $55 per pound — four or five times the amount of most other pure Arabica coffees.

What does James Bond have to do with this coffee?
James Bond, Author Ian Fleming's super spy hero, drinks no other coffee with his breakfast. Only the world's most delicious coffee. As the first Bond novel, Casino Royale was also the first book to flaunt its brands as "the best in the world." During the years 1953 till his death, in 1964, Fleming name-checked Brut Blanc de Blanc champagne, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, Smirnoff's, and Aston Martin.

Where did coffee originate?
Sometime around 850, in southwest Ethiopia, a goat herder noticed that his goats became excited after eating the berries of a certain shrub. Legend has it that he decided to try some of these berries and achieved similar results. The rest, as they say, is history. Coffee was first cultivated in Yemen around 1000. Linguists argue over the origin of the word, debating whether it comes from the word "Kaffa" or from the Arabic word "Qawah". The stimulating effect was then exploited by monks at a local monastery to stay awake during extended hours of prayer and distributed to other monasteries around the world. 

How did it come into the world market?
Dutch traders doing business with the Ottoman Empire are generally credited with first importing coffee into Europe in the 1500's via Constantinople. They then took the shrubs to their colonies in Java and Bali.

What is a coffee cherry?
The coffee plant is in fact a small to medium sized tree, the fruit of which is called the "cherry." The coffee cherry contains two seeds or beans that are covered by a fleshy pulp membrane. Once ripe, the cherries are typically handpicked and the outer layers are removed by either a wet or dry method. Then, the beans are cleaned, dried, graded and inspected.

What are green beans?
After they have been cleaned, dried and graded, the coffee beans are called "green" beans (they may be pale green to dull yellow in color). In this state, beans are shipped to their destination where they will be roasted, blended, ground and distributed.

What are the characteristics of the coffee plant?
The coffee shrub has a life span of 70 years and reaches its highest yield in 5 to 7 years. It can flower and bear fruit (up to 30,000 per year) at the same time. It grows primarily in the tropical regions of the world but will not flower if temperatures drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

What are the two most common types of green beans?
The two most common types are Robustica and Arabica beans. Robustica beans are of lower quality with higher caffeine content. Arabica beans are of higher quality with lower caffeine content.

What is "cupping"?
A cupping, or cupping session, is a coffee tasting. Cuppings occur before coffee beans are purchased, to ensure quality and to test the balance of flavors for blending purposes. Cuppings are similar in many ways to a wine tasting. During a cupping session, the coffee is not swallowed (spittoons are required) and a specific procedure is followed for assessing the quality of the coffee imperfections resulting from old, diseased or unripe beans, as well as from yeast or fungus can be detected. As with wine tasting, the more air that is circulated in the mouth while tasting, the better the sense of flavor balance the taster will get. Cuppings involve a detailed identification of flavors and tastes. These categorizations range from aroma taints like "improper roasting" which would come across as "tipped," "scorched" or "baked," to internal changes such as "fats changing chemically" which would taste "horsey" or "sweaty."

How does the roasting process work?
While there have been significant advances in the uniformity and quality of the roasting method, the principle remains the same. Raw coffee beans are heated to a temperature of 355 and 415 degrees Fahrenheit. As they heat, they lose a large part of their water and increase in size. A popping noise, much like that of popcorn, can be heard as gasses inside the bean expand.

We have secured authentic Blue Mountain Coffee in bulk at a reasonable price. We are able to offer you an opportunity to join those in the world who treasure the delicacy of the aromatic full flavor of Blue Mountain Coffee. Whole beans are available in 16oz. or 3oz. sample bags. Ground bags are available in quantity as are wholesale bean quantities to retailers, contact us for price.

Fastcafe.com specializes in this amazing coffee. The combination of experience and excellence make this coffee and fastcafe.com truely unique. Enjoy your visit with the global online coffee shop specialized in one bean!

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