Why Do They Say Most Blue Mountain Coffee in China Is Fake? Only Japanese Blue Mountain Coffee Is Real?

The Truth About Blue Mountain Coffee

In the era when Blue Mountain reigned supreme, a saying was widely circulated online: "There's a 99% chance that the Blue Mountain coffee you can drink/buy domestically is fake!" Sounds incredible, doesn't it? So why did such a saying spread? Today, FrontStreet Coffee will take you to explore the truth behind this statement, but before that, let's briefly review what "Blue Mountain Coffee" is~

What is Blue Mountain Coffee?

Blue Mountain Coffee is, quite simply, coffee that comes from the Blue Mountains~ The Blue Mountains are located in the eastern part of Jamaica, an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. The reason they're named "Blue Mountain" has much to do with the seawater that surrounds this mountain! On clear days, sunlight shines on the sea surface. Since seawater can refract light, these refracted rays happen to illuminate this great mountain. Then, because seawater is the refracting medium, these refracted light rays carry the blue glow of the azure sea, making the entire mountain appear like a blue mountain from a distance. Thus, the "Blue Mountain" got its name!

As early as the 18th century, coffee cultivation in Jamaica had already begun! Through the careful nurturing by coffee farmers combined with the excellent island climate, the resulting coffee beans were of exceptional quality, with rich aroma and mellow taste! After its introduction, it became quite sought-after, especially for the Japanese, who were deeply influenced by Mandheling: "Hey! This taste is absolutely amazing."

However, the good times didn't last long. In the late 1960s, the entire island of Jamaica suffered a devastating hurricane attack (this time it wasn't leaf rust disease!). Whether it was coffee or other crops, all were "brutally victimized," suffering heavy losses. Almost all coffee plantations in Jamaica couldn't withstand the impact of this hurricane, collapsing one after another, and the coffee industry fell into decline. Coincidentally, this period was Japan's golden era, with its booming economy and maximum consumer spending power. So, several Japanese trading companies joined forces to provide huge loans to several well-known Blue Mountain plantations in exchange for shares, thus gaining priority purchasing rights! But that wasn't enough. To thank Japanese companies for their timely intervention, the Jamaican government signed a supply agreement with Japan in 1972. For the next 30 years, 90% of Jamaica's annual coffee production would be supplied to Japan, with the remaining 10% going to countries outside Japan. The already scarce Blue Mountain coffee, through this arrangement, had an extremely pitiful export volume!

The Blue Mountain Coffee Craze

Thus, the Japanese, who held 90% of Blue Mountain coffee quotas, praised, promoted, and recommended it extensively, directly igniting the "Blue Mountain craze." People from neighboring countries began to flock to Blue Mountain coffee. With its scarcity and successful marketing, drinking it seemed to elevate one's status, and Blue Mountain coffee prices skyrocketed. It was during this time that Blue Mountain coffee earned its "Emperor" title!

Although it had become very expensive, the demand remained high. At that time, the amount of Blue Mountain coffee imported into the country was extremely scarce, and coffee culture hadn't yet spread domestically. Therefore, some merchants employed the technique of "coffee bean blending," using relatively affordable beans from regions like Mandheling and Brazil to create a blend that mimicked the taste and mouthfeel of Blue Mountain coffee! These merchants would then give these blended beans an easily misleading Blue Mountain name, calling them "Blue Mountain Flavor Coffee Beans"! Although the taste was far from genuine Blue Mountain, technically, they never claimed it was actual Blue Mountain. This led to the opening statement: The Blue Mountain you can drink domestically is almost always fake!

The Changing Landscape

But this statement was only true before 2008! By 2008, the world had fallen into an economic crisis, including Jamaica! Jamaica needed to sell Blue Mountain coffee to more countries, and coincidentally, the agreement with Japan had expired. Thus, the Japanese could no longer monopolize Blue Mountain coffee, which could now be sold to more countries. People no longer needed to rely on "Blue Mountain flavor" to guess the true taste of Blue Mountain coffee. Because Blue Mountain coffee was no longer scarce or the most expensive, getting a cup of Blue Mountain coffee today is incredibly simple!

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