Introduction to Blue Mountain Coffee and Its Historical Development

FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee comes from Jamaica and is renowned worldwide as one of the most superior coffees in the world. FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain Coffee has a pure taste, with balanced acidity, sweetness, and bitterness, emitting an alluring elegant aroma.

The Blue Mountains

The island of Jamaica is not large in area. The Blue Mountain Range is located northeast of the capital Kingston. The mountain gets its name because when surrounded by the Caribbean Sea on clear days, direct sunlight hits the azure sea surface, and the peaks reflect the brilliant blue glow of the seawater. The highest peak of the Blue Mountains reaches an altitude of 2,256 meters, making it the highest peak in the Caribbean region and a famous tourist destination. This area is situated in the coffee belt, featuring fertile volcanic soil, fresh air free from pollution, and a humid climate with year-round fog and rainfall (average precipitation of 1,980 millimeters and temperature around 27°C). Such climate conditions have created the world-renowned Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, as well as the world's highest-priced coffee.

The History of Blue Mountain Coffee

In 1717, French King Louis XV ordered coffee cultivation in Jamaica. In the mid-1720s, Jamaica's Governor Sir Nicholas Lawes imported Arabica seeds from Martinique and began promoting cultivation in the St. Andrew area. To this day, St. Andrew remains one of the three major producing regions for Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, with the other two being the Portland region and the St. Thomas region. Within 8 years, Jamaica exported over 375 tons of pure coffee.

In 1932, coffee production reached its peak, with harvested coffee amounting to over 15,000 tons. In 1950, the Jamaican government established the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board, which sets quality standards for Jamaican coffee and supervises their implementation to ensure the quality of Jamaican coffee. The board grants special official seals to raw and roasted coffee exported from Jamaica, making it one of the world's highest-level national coffee institutions. Currently, there are 6 symbols that can represent the origin of Blue Mountain Coffee: M.B.C.E (Mavis Bank Central Factory), M.H.C.C.T. (Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative), P.X.X.S.H. (Portland Blue Mountain Coffee Cooperative), Coffee Industry Association (Wallenford), Coffee Industry Association (John's Peak Peak), and J.A.S (Blue Mountain). By 1969, the situation had improved because Japanese loans were used to enhance production quality, thus ensuring market stability. Today, this coffee has reached a level of passionate devotion. By 1981, Jamaica had another 1,500 hectares of land cultivated for coffee planting, followed by the development of an additional 6,000 hectares of coffee land.

In fact, today's Blue Mountain region is a small area with only 6,000 hectares of planting area, making it impossible for all coffee labeled "Blue Mountain" to be grown there. Another 12,000 hectares are used for growing two other types of coffee: High Mountain Supreme Coffee and Jamaica Prime Washed Coffee.

The Current Status of Blue Mountain Coffee

Blue Mountain Coffee's ability to maintain its premium status today is also related to the local government's policy of limiting production to ensure quality. Jamaica has not engaged in mass production at the expense of quality just because Blue Mountain Coffee became famous. Instead, it prioritizes quality, preferring to sacrifice yield rather than damage the prestigious reputation of Blue Mountain Coffee. Brazil, the world's largest coffee-producing country, produces 30 million bags (60 kg each) of coffee annually, while Jamaica produces only over 40,000 bags per year, demonstrating the significant difference in production volume.

Blue Mountain Coffee beans are classified into several grades according to quality. The highest-grade Blue Mountain Coffee beans generally do not enter the circulation market, as most are pre-ordered by royalty and wealthy individuals. The Blue Mountain Coffee beans available on the market are "Blue Mountain" brand coffee beans that have received certification from the Jamaican government. According to statistics from the International Coffee Organization website, in the 2003-2004 season, Jamaica produced a total of 43,000 bags of coffee, of which 24,000 bags were exported. Nearly 90% of the exported portion flows to Japan, with the remainder entering European and American markets. Due to limited production and small export volumes, Blue Mountain Coffee has consistently been in short supply in the international market.

In recent years, various coffee shops have emerged across China like bamboo shoots after spring rain, and premium Blue Mountain Coffee has naturally become a target pursued by people, especially young people. For a time, it seemed that only those who had tasted Blue Mountain Coffee had truly experienced coffee. And shops that didn't sell Blue Mountain Coffee weren't considered real coffee shops. In China, the price per cup of "Blue Mountain Coffee" ranges from over 30 to over 100 RMB, which can be described as quite expensive. However, China does not have a direct quota for importing Blue Mountain Coffee from Jamaica, and the International Coffee Organization has no records of Blue Mountain Coffee beans being exported to China. So here's a reminder: despite paying a high price, the coffee in your cup may very well not be genuine Blue Mountain Coffee.

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