JAMAICA HIGH MOUNTAIN COFFEE Legend has it that in 1650 AD, the Arabs held the fertile seeds of Coffee Arabica as precious treasure and they assigned guards to watch over the seeds. However a Moslem from the land of India, successfully pilfered coffee seeds and brought it back to his homeland. The seeds of Arabica coffee soon grew in the hills of Chikmagalgur and the word spread to other lands about the coffee plantation. And soon other regions got hold of the seed and planted it in their own home lands. These precious coffee seeds, however, had preferences of their own. They choose to grow on tropical highlands where the soil could nourish them to perfection.
Somewhere in the islands of the Caribbean is a beautiful island blessed with majestic mountain ranges known as the Blue Mountains. At an altitude of 5,500 feet the land is a Forest Reserve. Trees in this forest serve as canopy to the coffee fields below where the terrain, the rainfall pattern, the Blue Mountain mist, the humus fertile soil is perfectly suited for the cultivation of the world's most sought after coffee; the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee. The Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica, having gone through a lot of trials have made standard growing, harvesting, processing and marketing policy to protect this worlds most distinguished coffee. A grading system is used and only the best coffee beans are exported. Of the 30,000 acres of coffee plantation, only 9,000 acres of which are certified as 100% Blue Mountain Coffee. The rest of the plantations simply carry the name, Jamaica High Mountain. The classification of authentic Blue Mountain coffee is an act to maintain the high quality of true Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. However some producers try to fake it and stamp the Blue Mountain name on their coffee bag. One of the reasons they do it is because Blue Mountain seal commands high price. Jamaica High Mountain coffee, however, still has the qualities of a Jamaica Blue Mountain cofee though it may not pass the strict quality standards set by the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board. Unfortunately the Jamaica High Mountain coffee is regarded as inferior coffee compared to the Blue Mountain coffee. However, this coffee has something good to offer aside from lower price. This coffee still has almost the mild flavor and just the right bitterness that a Jamaican coffee is famous for. |
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