Have a Taste of Jamaica's Blue Mountain Coffee

A cup of good coffee on the breakfast table is always a great way to welcome the morning. Since its inception centuries ago, coffee has become the most popular beverage and the world's most traded and sought-after commodities.

Over the years, many coffee variants have originated from different places, which paved the way for gourmet coffee to have a niche in the world market.

Aside from the basic Robusta and Arabica variants, there are other rare coffee variants which gained a good following from coffee aficionados.

First, there is the Civet coffee or Kopi Luwak, which is made from coffee berries which were eaten and excreted by the common Palm Civet. This rare process takes place only in countries like the Philippines, Sumatra, Java, Indonesia, Vietnam and India, making Civet coffee one of the more expensive variants.

Kona coffee from Hawaii, Turkish, Colombian and Maraba coffee are some other premium variants which have become popular for coffee drinkers the world over.

'Jamaica's Blue Mountains'

The island nation of Jamaica, situated within the Caribbean Sea, has more than just gorgeous beaches to offer.

The amazing Blue Mountains are located at the eastern side of Jamaica, and this is where the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is grown.

Blue Mountains is a Jamaican region where there is a wide range of hills with an almost permanent mist covering the hills giving it a bluish hue, thus the name.

This mountain range boasts of a National Park with lush rainforests and rich vegetation. It is also home to hundreds of plants and animal species unique to the region.

The upper slopes and the summit are strictly preserved as a forest. The lower slopes, with its rich, fertile soil and ideal climate, serve as the perfect setting for coffee cherries to be grown and harvested from the Blue Mountains.

'Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee: A Taste of Heaven on Earth'

Most coffee plants rely on the climate of the region where they are planted, and this produces the distinctive flavor found in the coffee cherries.

In the Blue Mountains, the tallest mountain range in the island of Jamaica, the following factors contribute to the unique flavor of the coffee:

- the hot climate - the altitude of the lower mountain peaks where the coffee plants are grown and harvested - plenty of rainfall to water the coffee plants - the rich and fertile soil of the mountains where the plants are grown

The Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is considered to be the world's finest and rarest coffee variant. Words cannot describe the taste of this premier coffee blend.

A 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee has this distinctively rich taste and aroma. Compared to other coffee variants, this has a milder flavor which is less bitter yet a little sweet, giving it that smooth, clean taste.

Because of the high quality expected of this coffee variant, the island country of Jamaica built the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board to maintain the world-class quality of every coffee bean produced in the island.

The tedious and time-consuming labor of coffee growers in planting, harvesting and processing the Blue Mountain coffee is truly amazing.

The Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is indeed a world-class variant that coffee enthusiasts around the world can sip and enjoy - up to the last drop.

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in Food and Drink. For more information regarding Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee please drop by at http://www.hotcoffeeplus.com/

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee http://www.hotcoffeeplus.com/

Benefits of Coffee

Coffee is a beverage that is prepared from roasted coffee beans. Coffee beans from different places have their distinctive characteristics like flavor, caffeine content, body or mouth feel, and acidity. To turn the coffee berries and its seeds into roasted coffee, a lot of processing and human labor is required. The processing of coffee involves Picking, Defruiting, Drying, Sorting, Aging and Roasting.

Benefits of Consuming Coffee :

Asthma sufferers may find that the theophylline in coffee may reduce their symptoms. Coffee may also help reduce the risk of colon cancer by keeping a body regular. Coffee is consumed by students while preparing for exams because it makes them more alert and even boost the learning abilities and powers of reasoning. The effectiveness of painkillers, especially those taken for migraine, is increased by drinking coffee. In men, it can reduce the occurrence of gallstones and gallbladder disease. Coffee may help to reduce the risk of a number of diseases and ailments that includes Type II diabetes, Parkinson's, colon cancer, cirrhosis, depression and much more. Coffee reduces the incidence of heart disease. Coffee represents by far the largest source of valuable antioxidants in the diet. Coffee is the early morning energizer that helps you to begin your day in high spirits.

In the summer months iced coffee is a special treat.For superior taste, cold coffee with different flavors is consumed. Expresso, Doppio and Macchiato, Long Black, Caffe Freddo, Latte and Cappuccino are some of the varieties that will be a treat to your taste buds.

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history of the coffee bean

And to many of us - it's simply what we need to get us started in the morning. Coffee today is produced in over 50 countries and is the second most valuable export after oil. Whether you call it java, mud or a shot in the arm, an estimated 2 billion cups are consumed every day around the world - making coffee the most popular drink in the world. Shepherds consumed the coffee by grounding the beans and mixing them with animal fat. One legend has it that a goat herder in Ethiopia observed his goats eating coffee berries and he decided to taste them himself - noting the stimulating effect. Coffee is older than most people think - archaeological evidence suggests that humans were enjoying the taste of the coffee berry around a hundred thousand years ago. Arabia controlled the coffee trade for many centuries as they introduced a law that prohibited the exporting of beans that could germinate. By around 600 AD, the coffee bean on plantations - they called their new concoction qahwa meaning "that which prevents sleep". Despite this restriction, the coffee bean somehow found its way throughout the Middle East - to Persia (now Iran), Egypt and parts of Northern Africa. Coffee beans also found their way to the Mysore area of India - where descendants of those original plants flourished until the early 20th century. In many cases, the beans were literally smuggled out of Arabia. At first, coffee was not enjoyed for its taste, but more as a supplement or source of nutrition. When the coffee bean found its way to Turkey, the Turks began to drink it for its flavor - frequently adding such things as cinnamon or anise. The Turks were also the first to roast the beans over fires and boil the crushed beans in water. And what is generally considered to be the world's first coffee shop was opened in Istanbul - known as Constantinople at the time - in the 15th century. The Dutch were the first to transport and cultivate coffee beans on a commercial basis. With coffee beans smuggled out of Arabia, they established plantations in Ceylon and one of their colonies - Java. Today, Indonesia is the world's third largest producer of coffee. The coffee bean was introduced to Europe during the 17th century. At one point, the beverage was more popular than tea in England and was used as an antidote to the widespread alcoholism of the time. Coffee houses sprang up in such places as Vienna, Paris and London, frequented by the wealthy and fashionable. The Austrians are credited with the practice of adding milk and sugar to coffee. In France, Louis XIV built greenhouses to protect his precious coffee beans from frost. And in the New World, coffee was also a popular drink - the newly formed American colonies declared coffee to be the national drink. Not everybody approved; the Catholics declared coffee should be banned - despite the Pope confessing to being an avid coffee drinker. Today, there are actually more than 60 varieties of coffee in the world, although the beans used for coffee are one of two types - Robusta and Arabica. Around 75% of coffee beans produced are Arabica and are cultivated in Brazil and Central America. Robusta beans produce a stronger blend of coffee and are cultivated in parts of Asia and Africa as well as Brazil. Chances are high that your coffee beans come from Brazil, the world's largest producer of coffee. Brazil produces almost 30% of the world's coffee and also has some of the most advanced processing techniques in the world. In 2006, the gross value of coffee production in Brazil was almost 5 billion dollars and the industry employs several million workers. Coffee isn't usually associated with Asia, but several Asian countries have started to cultivate the coffee bean. In recent years, Vietnam has become a large producer and some of the African coffee producing countries still produce excellent coffee - in particular Kenya and Tanzania Some countries have also started to cultivate specialized coffee beans - Kenya produces a fruity coffee and Indonesia produces the Kopi Luwak - a coffee bean that has been passed through the digestive system of a civet. And Ethiopia - where the coffee bean was perhaps first discovered - is home to a bean that produces a coffee flavored with chocolate, ginger and orange. So whether you prefer your coffee beans with milk, with sugar, strong or with no caffeine - take a moment and enjoy a cup of the world's most popular drink.

And to many of us - it's simply what we need to get us started in the morning. Coffee today is produced in over 50 countries and is the second most valuable export after oil. Whether you call it java, mud or a shot in the arm, an estimated 2 billion cups are consumed every day around the world - making coffee the most popular drink in the world.Shepherds consumed the coffee by grounding the beans and mixing them with animal fat. One legend has it that a goat herder in Ethiopia observed his goats eating coffee berries and he decided to taste them himself - noting the stimulating effect. Coffee is older than most people think - archaeological evidence suggests that humans were enjoying the taste of the coffee berry around a hundred thousand years ago.Arabia controlled the coffee trade for many centuries as they introduced a law that prohibited the exporting of beans that could germinate. By around 600 AD, the coffee bean on plantations - they called their new concoction qahwa meaning "that which prevents sleep".So whether you prefer your coffee beans with milk, with sugar, strong or with no caffeine - take a moment and enjoy a cup of the world's most popular drink.

a brief overview of gourmet coffee

Gourmet coffee may have once only been served in the finest dining establishments and found being served mostly in the homes of the upper class, but gourmet coffee is widely available and affordable to a variety of people and is found in a variety of people and is found in a variety of people and is found in a variety of settings today. Coffee is a beverage that has been available in cheap, regular and gourmet versions for a long time and the consumption rate of coffee among people from around the world continues to increase every year. Gourmet foods and drinks have long been associated as the regular fare for the rich and famous who can afford the higher pricing that often accompanies many of these finer food and beverage versions. The word Gourmet is used to refer to the fancier grade, cut, or quality of many of the foods and beverages we consume. Packaged coffee beans that have not been ground can be purchased in stores and ground using the grinding mills that are made available in most of the stores selling them, but also with grinding machines in the home. Some people prefer to grind their own coffee beans before brewing them for coffee. Finally, the coffee beans are grinded down into a fine consistency that is commonly known as coffee grounds, and packaged and shipped to destinations around the world where consumers can buy and brew coffee grounds to make coffee in commercial, hospitality, institutional, and residential settings. The beans are then roasted to various degrees which cause them to change physically and in the tastes they produce. It is the coffee beans that remain after the processing and drying of the coffee berries. After ripening, coffee berries are harvested, and then undergo a processing which also includes drying them. Coffee is made from coffee beans which are found within the berries that develop and ripen on a number of smaller evergreen bush plant species known as the Coffea plant. Gourmet coffee is made from the top tier arabica coffee beans that are considered to be Gourmet, and thereby from which gourmet coffee is derived. The two most commercially grown species of the coffea plant that produce the coffee beans used to make the coffee that the world's population consumes, are Robusta and Arabica. Coffee bean grounds and coffee beans that have not been grinded down need to be stored in air-tight containers and kept cool in order to protect them from losing their flavor. The containers that coffee is typically sold in are not the most ideal for storing coffee for a long period of time. When you arrive home after purchasing coffee grounds at the store, consider transferring the fresh coffee grounds to appropriate storage containers to extend its shelf life and full flavor. Coffee can be brewed in many ways such as boiling, pressuring, and steeping. Most of us brew our coffee using automatic coffee brewing machines and percolators which use gravity to pull hot water through coffee grounds where the hot water mixed with the oils and essences of the coffee grounds empties into a liquid holding container below. Filters are used to keep coffee granules from being emptied into the carafe or liquid holding container from which the brewed coffee can then be served from because most people do not want to drink the coffee granules. Coffee granules can be very bitter once the flavor able oils and essences have been removed through the brewing process. Plants and flowers love coffee grounds though for anybody who is looking for a greener alternative of what to do with coffee grounds after brewing instead of just throwing them in the trash. However, brewing gourmet coffee at home is usually much cheaper, and you can add what you want to your coffee to satisfy your refined, gourmet tastes. Big name coffee chains sell a wide variety of gourmet coffee with different tasty additions and flavors to appeal to gourmet coffee lovers. While many others want to enhance their gourmet coffee and drinking experience with tasty additions like milk that is whipped into a froth, sweeteners, and mixing in other flavors like chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and mint, to name just a few. While many others want to enhance their gourmet coffee black, without adding anything like milk, creamer, sugar or other sweeteners or flavorings, to their coffee. Some people are quite content with drinking their gourmet coffee black, without adding anything like milk, creamer, sugar or other sweeteners or flavorings, to their coffee. Of course, Gourmet coffee beans are only the beginning to creating a truly gourmet coffee experience for many gourmet coffee drinkers.

Gourmet coffee may have once only been served in the finest dining establishments and found being served mostly in the homes of the upper class, but gourmet coffee is widely available and affordable to a variety of settings today. Coffee is a beverage that has been available in cheap, regular and gourmet versions for a long time and the consumption rate of coffee among people from around the world continues to increase every year. Gourmet foods and drinks have long been associated as the regular fare for the rich and famous who can afford the higher pricing that often accompanies many of these finer food and beverage versions. The word Gourmet is used to refer to the fancier grade, cut, or quality of many of the foods and beverages we consume.Finally, the coffee beans that have not been ground can be purchased in stores and ground using the grinding mills that are made available in most of the stores selling them, but also with grinding machines in the home. The beans are then roasted to various degrees which cause them to change physically and in the tastes they produce. Packaged coffee beans that remain after the processing and drying of the coffee berries. Some people prefer to grind their own coffee beans before brewing them for coffee. It is the coffee beans are grinded down into a fine consistency that is commonly known as coffee grounds, and packaged and shipped to destinations around the world where consumers can buy and brew coffee grounds to make coffee in commercial, hospitality, institutional, and residential settings. After ripening, coffee berries are harvested, and then undergo a processing which also includes drying them. Coffee is made from coffee beans which are found within the berries that develop and ripen on a number of smaller evergreen bush plant species known as the Coffea plant.These top tier arabica coffee beans that are considered to be Gourmet, and thereby from which gourmet coffee is derived. These top tier arabica coffea plants grown at lower altitudes are still noted among consumers as having richer flavors than the flavors produced by Robusta coffee beans, but it is only the top tier coffee beans from the arabica coffea plant. Gourmet coffee is made from the top tier coffee beans from the arabica coffea plant. The two most commercially grown species of the coffea plant that produce the coffee beans used to make the coffee that the world's population consumes, are Robusta and Arabica.However, brewing gourmet coffee at home is usually much cheaper, and you can add what you want to your coffee to satisfy your refined, gourmet tastes. Big name coffee chains sell a wide variety of gourmet coffee with different tasty additions and flavors to appeal to gourmet coffee lovers. While many others want to enhance their gourmet coffee and drinking experience with tasty additions like milk that is whipped into a froth, sweeteners, and mixing in other flavors like chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and mint, to name just a few. While many others want to enhance their gourmet coffee black, without adding anything like milk, creamer, sugar or other sweeteners or flavorings, to their coffee. Some people are quite content with drinking their gourmet coffee black, without adding anything like milk, creamer, sugar or other sweeteners or flavorings, to their coffee. Of course, Gourmet coffee beans are only the beginning to creating a truly gourmet coffee experience for many gourmet coffee drinkers.

a fascinating history of our favorite drink coffee

The History of Coffee -- No one really knows how coffee originated; its origin was lost in legends worldwide. However, a frequently told story that the history of coffee is attributed its discovery to a 16th Century herd of hungry goats and their Ethiopian caretaker named Kaldi. The goats, tired of searching for greener pasture, began to nibble the sweet red berries from a strange and unknown bush. Soon unusual behaviour followed, the herd became friskier and begun to kick their heels; witnessing the lively behaviour, Kaldi decided to taste the berries. Soon after, he became restless as well. He then shared his discovery to a monk and the news was brought to a monastery. The monk started serving them in the monastery and their evening prayers suddenly became more pleasant. The glories of the magical berries then begun to spread rapidly.

History of Coffee history of coffee is attributed its discovery to a 16th Century herd of hungry goats and their Ethiopian caretaker named Kaldi.

Below is the time line in the evolution of coffee. They mixed the coffee berries with animal fat, rolled them into balls, and ate them when they travel at night which made them awake and alert. Coffee was then considered as a standard Ethiopian tribal food.

1st Century

1st Century

By the 1st Century, Arab traders brought back coffee to Arabia and cultivate the plant for the first time on plantations. They created a drink out of the berries and called it "qahwa"; which literally translates as "that which prevents sleep"

Arab traders

15th Century

15th Century

Around 1453, coffee was introduced into Constantinople by the Turks and the first ever coffee shop, Kiva Kan, opened there in 1475.

Turks

16th Century

16th Century

Jesuit missionaries then brought arabica coffee beans to the country of Colombia. The volcanic soil of the Andes Mountains, along with the mild temperatures and abundant rainfall of the Colombian topography, provided ideal growing conditions enabling the coffee plants to flourish.

By the late 1500's, the first traders were selling coffee in Europe, thus introducing the new beverage into Western life. The Dutch planted coffee in their tropical colonies of Batavia and Java, while the French planted it in Martinique in 1723 and later on in the Antilles. The English, Spaniards and Portuguese followed suit in their own colonies.

17th Century

17th Century

In 1607, coffee was thought to have been introduced to the 'New World' by Captain John Smith; the founder of Virginia.

In 1652, the first coffeehouse opens in England. Coffee houses multiply and become such popular forums for intellectual discussions that they are dubbed "penny universities" (a penny being the price of a cup of coffee).

In 1668, Edward Lloyd's coffeehouse opens in England and is frequented by merchants and maritime insurance agents. Eventually it becomes Lloyd's of London, the best-known insurance company in the world.

In 1672, the coffee shop opened in Paris.

In 1675, the Turkish Army surrounded Vienna. Franz Georg Kolschitzky , a Viennese who had lived in Turkey, slips through the enemy lines to lead relief forces to the city. The fleeing Turks leave behind sacks of "dry black fodder" that Kolschitzky recognizes as coffee. He claimed them as his reward and opened central Europe's first coffee house. He also establishes the habit of refining the brew by filtering out the grounds, sweetening it, and adding a dash of milk.

Franz Georg Kolschitzky

With a coffee plant smuggled out of the Arab port of Mocha in 1690, the Dutch become the first to transport and cultivate coffee commercially, in Ceylon and in their East Indian colony - Java, source of the brew's nickname.

18th Century

18th Century

In 1713, King Louis XIV was presented with a coffee tree. It is believed that coffee additives was first used as coffee additive in his courts .

King Louis XIV courts

1721 : First coffee house opens in Berlin.

:

1723: French naval officer Gabriel Mathieu do Clieu stole a coffee seedlings and transported it to Martinique. Within 50 years, official survey recorded 19 million coffee trees on Martinique. Eventually, 90 percent of the world's coffee spreads from this plant.

In 1727, coffee growing started in northern Brazil through Lieutenant colonel Francisco de Melo Palheta who was sent by government to arbitrate a border dispute between the French and the Dutch colonies in Guiana. Not only did he settled the dispute, but also came up with a secret liaison with the wife of French Guiana's governor. Although France guarded its New World coffee plantations to prevent cultivation from spreading, the lady said good-bye to Palheta with a bouquet in which she hid cuttings and fertile seeds of coffee

19th Century

19th Century

The first espresso machine might have been invented in France at the start of the 19th century. But the first manufactured machine is said to have happened 100 years later in Italy.

In 1886, former wholesale grocer Joel Cheek names his popular coffee blend "Maxwell House," after the hotel in Nashville, TN where it was served.

20th Century

20th Century

The 20th century saw a major evolution of coffeein the way it was made and served.

• In 1900, Hills Bros. begins packing roast coffee in vacuum tins, spelling the end of the ubiquitous local roasting shops and coffee mills.





• In 1901 a Japanese-American chemist Satori Kato of Chicago, created the first soluble "instant" coffee.






• In 1903 a German coffee importer, Ludwig Roselius and a team of researchers perfected the process of removing the caffeine content from the coffee beans without destroying the flavour. He marketed it under the brand name we still know today, "Sanka."





• In 1905 the first commercial espresso machine was manufactured in Italy.

In 1900, Hills Bros. begins packing roast coffee in vacuum tins, spelling the end of the ubiquitous local roasting shops and coffee mills.

In 1901 a Japanese-American chemist Satori Kato of Chicago, created the first soluble "instant" coffee.

In 1903 a German coffee importer, Ludwig Roselius and a team of researchers perfected the process of removing the caffeine content from the coffee beans without destroying the flavour. He marketed it under the brand name we still know today, "Sanka."

In 1905 the first commercial espresso machine was manufactured in Italy.

• In 1906, George Constant Washington, an English chemist living in Guatemala, notices a powdery condensation forming on the spout of his silver coffee carafe. After experimentation, he creates the first mass-produced instant coffee (his brand is called Red E Coffee).





• In 1908 Melitta Bentz invented the world’s first drip coffeemaker by using blotting paper.





• In 1933 Dr. Ernest Illy developed the first automatic espresso machine.





• In 1938 Nescafé instant coffee was invented by the Swiss Nestlé company, to aid the Brazilian government in solving its coffee surplus problem.





• In 1945 Achilles Gaggia perfected the espresso machine with a piston that creates a high pressure extraction to produce the thick layer of crema that we all love today.





• In 1971, Starbucks opens its first store in Seattle's Pike Place public market, creating a frenzy over fresh-roasted whole bean coffee.





• In 1979, Mr Cappuccino opens for business.





• In 1991, Caffè Carissimi Canada, a network of espresso service providers is formed in Canada, modeled after a visit to Franco Carissimi (roaster and equipment manufacturer) in Bergamo Italy. It becomes the fastest growing network of private and independant super automatic machines providers in Canada.





• In 1995 , Coffee is the world’s most popular beverage. More than 400 billion cups are consumed each year. It is a world commodity that is second only to oil.

In 1906, George Constant Washington, an English chemist living in Guatemala, notices a powdery condensation forming on the spout of his silver coffee carafe. After experimentation, he creates the first mass-produced instant coffee (his brand is called Red E Coffee).

In 1908 Melitta Bentz invented the world’s first drip coffeemaker by using blotting paper.

Melitta Bentz

In 1933 Dr. Ernest Illy developed the first automatic espresso machine.

Dr. Ernest Illy

In 1938 Nescafé instant coffee was invented by the Swiss Nestlé company, to aid the Brazilian government in solving its coffee surplus problem.

In 1945 Achilles Gaggia perfected the espresso machine with a piston that creates a high pressure extraction to produce the thick layer of crema that we all love today.

Achilles Gaggia

In 1971, Starbucks opens its first store in Seattle's Pike Place public market, creating a frenzy over fresh-roasted whole bean coffee.

In 1979, Mr Cappuccino opens for business.

In 1991, Caffè Carissimi Canada, a network of espresso service providers is formed in Canada, modeled after a visit to Franco Carissimi (roaster and equipment manufacturer) in Bergamo Italy. It becomes the fastest growing network of private and independant super automatic machines providers in Canada.

In 1995 , Coffee is the world’s most popular beverage. More than 400 billion cups are consumed each year. It is a world commodity that is second only to oil.

1995

Visit www.coffeetology.com for more facts and trivia about coffee...