Coffee

There is so much more to drinking coffee than just knowing whether you want a cappuccino or a shot of espresso. What really makes the drink are the beans, and the art of growing good beans is akin to the difference between a bottle of cheap wine and the finest Brunello from Montalcino.

Furthermore, coffee beans are a bit of a mystery to a lot people since they only grow in specific regions, due to their finicky nature and need for specific weather patterns. Here is a break-down of some of the most popular beans, and why they make such great coffee.

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
Ever enjoyed a drink at a bar that included Tia Maria? Then you know the secret of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, which is known for its surprisingly mild flavor and serious lack of bitter aftertaste. In addition to flavoring one of the tastiest coffee liqueurs around, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee also is brewed as regular coffee. The coffee beans grow between Kingston and Port Maria in the Blue Mountains, where a cool and misty climate with a huge annual rainfall ensures the soil is just right to grow these special beans.

Colombian Coffee
One of the biggest producers of coffee beans is Columbia, a country with a perfect environment for growing different varieties of Arabica beans, like Caturra, Typica, and Bourbon. The coffee grown in Columbia is imported by many countries around the world, like Japan, The United States, Australia, and Holland. Initially, harvested beans were roasted with charcoal in saucepans at the very beginning of Columbia’s long-going historical trade and harvesting.

Aloha Island Coffee Pods
Some of the best coffee in the world comes from Hawaii, really the only place in the States where coffee beans thrive. The type of beans, Kona, come in many varieties, but the absolute best are produced at a private coffee plantation on the Big Island of Hawaii, located right on the slopes of Mauna Loa, the famous volcano. It is the volcanic soil, coupled with rainfall and tropical sunshine, that makes these beans grow so well here, resulting in a cup of coffee that is incredibly smooth and not at all acidic.

Kopi Luwak
Always wanted to try a coffee made from beans that have already been eaten and digested? Well, you might have done that inadvertently, with Kopi Luwak coffee beans. Grown in Java, the coffee is some of the most popular around, all thanks to Asian Palm Civits, which love the coffee beans, eat them, and then digest them in a remarkable process that adds more flavor for us humans later. Apologies in advance if coffee was just ruined for you forever.

Remember, while different countries all produce different types of beans, it does not mean that the names on this list are the only type of coffee bean grown in that particular country. Furthermore, it is possible that many of these beans have shown up in different names and varieties through United States importers.

For socially-conscious consumers, one of the best things you can do, before deciding you absolutely must try a type of coffee bean, is to see if there’s an organization that produces and imports said beans in a fair-trade way. Harvesting coffee is tough work, and it is a shame how unfairly paid a number of these production countries are, especially considering how much the beans draw around the world.

Damian Papworth has always loved to start the day with a coffee. He recently purchased an 8 cup coffee maker which he wrote about on his website, One Cup Coffee Makers.

Author: Damian Papworth
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With so many wide and varied coffee producing regions throughout the world it is hard to know what to expect when you buy a coffee from these places. Some of regions rely on small independent farmers to produce the coffee other regions are run by the multinational companies. We are well aware of how famous Java is in the world of coffee, it has now become a second name for coffee. But there a many less well known regions that are producing some of the most outstanding coffee in the world, These beans get their unique flavours and aromas from the way they are grown and processed, for instance some regions in the Americas grown their coffee in the shade, while other prefer their beans to be grown on the slopes of mountains. To name and describe ever region of coffee producing world would take a little longer than I can afford, but they can be broken down into the main regions so you get a general overview of what to expect of the coffees from these regions.

The Americas.

The largest and most diverse of all the regions, coffee is produced from the Caribbean all the way through south and central America and as far as Hawaii. Most of these coffees can be described as having a well balance and medium bodied flavours, because of these characteristics many of the coffees from the Americas are perfect from bending with other strong more acidic coffee verities. Some other well known characteristics of these coffees are chocolaty and nutty tones. Probably the most famous of all the American coffee’s are the kona coffee produced on the slopes of the volcanic Hawaiian mountains and the blue mountain coffee of Jamaica which is the highest mountain in the Caribbean.

Africa and the Middles East.

With Ethiopia being the birth place of coffee Africa has a long history with the Coffee bean and some of the most famous coffees have their origin in African and the Middle East, Mocha Coffee got it’s name from a port in Yemen. Coffee from these regions will always remain popular with each region having its own unique flavours and aromas and this is mostly down to the wide variety of climates from the desert like regions of the Middle East to the tropical regions of the Cameroon and Kenya. Even though there are many different varieties of African coffee you are always assured of a wonderful cup of coffee.

Asia And Indonesia

Almost 75% of all the coffee beans produced in this region come from the Canephora plant, with the remainder produced from the Arabica plant, The tropical and sub-tropical climates of these regions make the ideal conditions for growing some of the world’s finest coffee beans. In general these coffees are low in acidity with a full body and distinctive aromatic flavours of earthy tones. Because the beans are low in acidity with a strong body they are often used in a blend with a milder coffee usually from Africa or the Americas. Some of the most well loved of all the Asian coffee’s are the monsooned malabar coffee produced in India. This is one of the most unique coffees in the world as the beans are left in open sheds though out the monsoon season. This imparts a wonderful unique flavour to the beans. Another famous coffee is Kapal Api which produced on the Indonesian island of Java and in the past 80 it has grown to be a world famous brand.

As you can see that the choice and variety of coffee today is endless, and if you decide to roast your own green Coffee beans not only will have the freshest cup of coffee imaginable but you can also begin to experiment with different blends of coffee from around the world.

Author: Robert T Jones
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Jamaican coffee is one of the most expensive, classy and sought-after coffees in the entire world. It comes from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Jamaica blue mountain coffee is sheltered internationally as an officially recognized trademark implying that only coffee qualified by the ‘Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica’ can be branded as such. It comes from an established cultivating region in the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica, and its nurturing is supervised by the ‘Coffee Industry Board.’

To be called Jamaican coffee, the beans are required to grow above 2000 feet and normally, the Jamaican coffee plantations grow above 5000 feet all over the region. The higher the elevation of the plantation, the higher is the value, quality and demand of the coffee. The most preferred Jamaica coffee is roasted on an open fire in a pan.

Coffee connoisseurs describe Jamaican coffee as rich and savory, with low acidity, a tinge of sweetness and a bold aroma. A pound of this coffee in a coffee shop usually costs around $45. In Jamaica, it costs from $15 – $25 per pound. Other types of Jamaican coffee include High Mountain Supreme, Jamaica Prime and Jamaica Select. These are also as famous as the Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. Jamaican coffee is in a class all by itself in the world of coffee. While Italian coffee makes up most of the widely used types of coffee, Jamaican coffee is the most widely desired. Sadly, most coffee lovers can’t afford it.

The Jamaican Coffee has also done wonders to the Jamaican government by increasing exports in huge bounds. Many countries have attempted cultivating similar coffee plantations, but there is no comparison to the original Blue Mountain coffee from Jamaica.

Coffee provides detailed information on Coffee, Coffee Makers, Gourmet Coffee, Coffee Shops and more. Coffee is affiliated with Gourmet Flavored Coffee.

Author: Alison Cole
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Peaberry coffee is not unique to Jamaica. It is grown (or perhaps, we should say found) throughout the world’s coffee growing regions.   Peaberry coffee relates to the form of the coffee bean itself. Most – ninety percent or more – coffee beans split into two halves as they mature. This pair of flat-shaped bean is the typical coffee bean. On the other hand, some coffee beans do not split into halves and form a single, rounded bean in the shape of a pea, and, hence, the name “peaberry.” 

Many consider peaberry coffees to produce the most flavorful and intense cups of coffee. Experts do not agree as to why the peaberry appears to yield a superior cup. Reasons vary from more nutrients being packed into a single bean to how the rounded bean rolls more smoothly during the roasting process. Peaberry coffee beans by nature are infrequent and routinely constitute only five percent of a coffee crop. Generally, Peaberry coffee beans are separated from regular coffee beans through a mechanical screening process, where the peaberry beans will drop through a screen whereas regular beans will not. 

This extraordinary coffee is grown in the majestic Blue Mountain range in Jamaica reaching approximately 7,402 feet at the highest peak.   The Blue Mountains dominate the eastern third of Jamaica, located between Kingston to the south and Port Maria to the north. The upper reaches of the mountains are preserved as forest while the lower slopes are dedicated to coffee production.  An incredible mix ofl, cool and misty conditions,, rich soil, high rainfall and good soil drainage yields a very high quality coffee. The foggy conditions are believed to slow the growth of the coffee, thereby producing a more dense and flavorful bean. 

Only coffee cultivated in this mountainous range is permitted to hold the Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee label, which is adminitered by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board. Coffee grown at elevations between 3,000 and 5,500 feet has been traditionally known as Jamaica Blue Mountain. Coffee grown at lower elevations is known as either Jamaica High Mountain, Jamaica Supreme or Jamaica Low Mountain.

The colonial British government instituted the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board in 1950 to maintain and standardize the quality and consistency of Jamaican coffee in a world class manner. Upon achieving independence, the new Jamaican government continued to invest in coffee cultivation. Jamaican coffee is hand picked and supervised at every stage of pulping, drying, hulling, sorting and grading according to the Board’s regulations. All Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is wet-processed. Every export shipment is “cup quality” tested by certified tasters on the Coffee Industry Board staff. All shipments of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee must be approved and certified by the Board.

With Jamaica Blue Mountain Peaberry coffee, you have the combination of the rare Peaberry bean along with the most sought after single-origin coffee in the world.   Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is known for its sweet, rich flavor and a remarkable lack of bitterness. Often considered the most balanced and complete cup of coffee. To this impressive taste and aromatic profile, add the enhanced flavor usually experienced with a Peaberry coffee. While some have tried Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee, even fewer have tasted the same coffee as a Peaberry.   If you are thinking of trying Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee and are already aware of Peaberry varities, you may just want to make that little bit extra to taste Jamaica Blue Mountain Peaberry.

Joe Jefferson is the resident coffee expert at World Trader Coffee, which is proud to offer online gift packages [http://www.worldtradercoffee.com/Jamaica-Blue-Mountain-Peaberry-Coffee-p/jm2-r12.htm>Jamaica Blue Mountain Peaberry coffee</a> as well as a wide selection of <a target=] of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee and a dozen varieties of Peaberry coffees from around the world..

Author: Joe Jefferson
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If you are passionate about drinking the very best coffee, give Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee a try.

What is Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee?  

Although other Caribbean islands grow coffee, certainly Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is the best, and the most well-known. The name Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is a registered trademark of Jamaica’s Coffee Industry Board. Connoisseurs characterize Jamaica Blue Mountain as a perfect combination of acidity, body and aroma. It is rich and flavorful, with no bitterness and a hint of chocolatey sweetness – a very smooth, mild coffee. Some say it is also very low in caffeine.  

Blue Mountain is not a brand, but a coffee-growing region. At the Eastern end of Jamaica, the Blue Mountains form the backbone of the island and are among the highest mountains in the Caribbean, rising to 7,402 feet. To be called Jamaica Blue Mountain, the beans must be grown at altitudes between about 3,000 and 5,500 feet in the parishes of Saint Andrew, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas or Portland. Above 5,500 feet, the lushly wooded forest, which is home to over 800 species of plants and more than 200 species of birds, is maintained by the Jamaican Government as a Forest Reserve. (By the way, there are great hiking trails throughout this area.) Beans grown at lower elevations are called Jamaica Low Mountain or Jamaica High Mountain, based on elevation, and, while they may produce fine coffee, they tend to be more acidic and cannot legitimately be called Jamaican Blue Mountain.  

There is usually a cool misty cloud cover hanging over the Blue Mountains and the region gets about 200 inches of rain each year. This constant mist gives the mountains a bluish hue, which is where they derive their colorful name. Combined with volcanic soil rich in potash, nitrogen and phosphorus and good drainage, it makes for an ideal coffee-growing region (think about the climatic similarities with the Hawaiian Kona coffee-growing region). This perfect combination of factors causes the beans to mature more slowly (as many as 10 months to harvest), developing more character and producing a larger, harder bean with more intense flavor.  This is compared to other regions in the world where the beans mature in 5 or 6 months. Most of the coffee trees are of the Arabica Typica variety which produces delicious coffee.  

History  

Coffee is not native to Jamaica. The beans were brought to the island in 1728 by the governor at that time, Sir Nicholas Lawes, and coffee growing began as a plantation slave crop. Jamaica was able to produce such high quality beans that the industry grew quickly, resulting in more than 600 coffee plantations by 1814. After slavery was abolished, many former slaves acquired their own land and began to grow their own coffee. This caused a dramatic decline in the industry primarily due to labor shortages and, by 1850, only about 180 coffee plantations remained in operation.   Revived in the 1870s, some (mostly white) plantation owners started designating their coffee as Blue Mountain to distinguish it from the beans being produced by the emancipated slaves. These estate owners had access to better processing equipment and benefitted from their connections to merchants in colonial Britain (in power at the time), so their crops could be sold at the highest prices. Their reputation for high quality caused a high demand around the world even though this Blue Mountain coffee was only a small part of Jamaica’s total production.  

Jamaica’s coffee production has suffered many hardships caused by unscrupulous dealers, hurricanes and lack of organization. But in the 1950s and 1960s Japan developed a taste for their coffee, forming relationships with growers and processors, and investing in the production of the coffee crop. Today, Japan buys over 80% of the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee crop under contract, adding to its rarity in world coffee markets.  

Regulation

Responding to the various problems, the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board (C.I.B.) was established in 1953 to reorganize and develop the industry, control the quality of the crop and provide assistance to farmers. Quality was once again the number one priority.   The Coffee Industry Board carefully examines crops, evaluating bean size and other qualities to determine whether or not the coffee will be certified, and how to grade it. Grade One Jamaica Blue Mountain is the finest coffee. Today, there are many coffee cooperatives consisting mainly of small farmers with plots between ½ to 10 acres. Jamaica’s farmers send all their beans to designated pulperies and are paid per box by CIB. Once certified, the coffee can be sent for roasting to a CIB-licensed roaster who is also the only entity authorized to market Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee in Jamaica and around the world.  

In addition to its use for brewed coffee, the beans are the flavor base of Tia Maria coffee liqueur, another delicious Jamaican product.  

Because of the restricted geographical range where it’s grown, Jamaica Blue Mountain is available in limited quantities and can sometimes be difficult to find and rather expensive. Its production of about 2,000,000 pounds per year makes Jamaica a small fry in comparison to the large coffee producing countries of the world like Brazil, Columbia, Guatemala and Costa Rica. About 65% of the total production is exported, with about 95% of that going to Japan. That doesn’t leave much for the rest of us and it explains the high prices this great coffee commands!  

Its coffee exports earn between $25 and $30 million a year – far less than its other exports like sugar, bauxite and rum. But Jamaica can rightfully say it produces the premier coffee of the world!

Visit http://www.keepitjiggy.com for loads of information about Jamaica, its history, its food, travel information, reggae music, its artists, and resources for locating those hard-to-find collectibles in the genre.

Author: Theresa Goodell
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