Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

January 20, 2009

As you know I recently returned from a trip to Jamaica. There are many things I love about visiting Jamaica, but one that tops the list is Blue Mountain Coffee. When we go I have to bring back some of this amazing stuff. To me, it is truly the best in the world. I’ve had a lot of different coffees including 100% Kona and none can compare to real Blue Mountain Coffee.

Some quick facts on this variety:
The name Blue Mountain Coffee can only be given to coffee grown in at the highest elevation in the Blue Mountains and it must be board certified.
This bean comes from the Arabica variety and the Blue Mountains produce the perfect location for its growth.
It is known for its non-bitter taste and mild flavor.
Most of this coffee exported from Jamaica goes to Japan.
You can order it online from various brands (or take a trip to Jamaica!). It is well worth an occasional splurge if you are a true coffee lover.


I love coffee of all kinds and it is one of those things that I believe can benefit our health. I’m not saying you should drink it if you simply don’t like it (tea is great too), but those of us who enjoy it shouldn’t be worried.

There is so much research out there and more coming everyday about how coffee can help your health. Many of the negative views of coffee are now being dispelled as myths. For me, coffee is like white rice. Many cultures have enjoyed it for many years as a staple in their diets.

I would need much more hard evidence to eliminate coffee from my daily routine. It is as much about the ritual for me as it is the flavor. I love my mornings working at my laptop with warm coffee nearby in my favorite mug. I do exercise moderation having about 2 to 3 cups a day.

I’ve gone through phases where I’ve had a lot more and I don’t think this is healthy. Especially considering how it makes me feel. At the level I consume right now I look forward to it, but I do not suffer from withdraw headaches if I don’t have it. This is what has made me realize I’m at a healthy balance now.

Here are a few things studies have suggested regarding the moderate intake of coffee. Keep in mind that these are findings, and of course, as with most science, not exactly hard fact yet. For me, they are enough evidence to hang on to my coffee habit, though.

It may reduce the risk for Type II diabetes.
It may reduce the risk for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
It may have a protective effect against some cancers.

These kinds of things really don’t surprise me because coffee is a real, natural food. Now that I live in Brazil I see coffee plants all the time. Did you know that decaffeinated coffee is totally foreign in Brazil? I’ve had friends here ask me about it and they don’t understand it at all.

Many times I think the ritual of coffee drinking may be what can help us mentally. While I know it is perking my body up, the act of drinking it is comforting and stress reducing for me. Maybe you feel the same way. Let me know in the comments.

Back to the Blue Mountain stuff. A few years ago I had the chance to go on a bike tour of the Blue Mountains in Jamaica and check out this coffee for myself. I’ve posted a few pictures below.

And I just couldn’t leave this post without giving you a recipe. I made these late last year for a friend here in Brazil. I didn’t have Blue Mountain coffee at the time so any finely ground variety will work well. Careful! They pack a huge coffee punch. I was amazed at how good they are and plan to make them again soon. Enjoy!!

Jamaican Coffee Brownies
Taken and slightly adapted from epicurious.com

2 cups sugar
15 tablespoons (2 sticks minus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons finely ground Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9x2-inch metal pan with nonstick spray. Combine sugar, butter, cocoa, ground coffee, and salt in large bowl. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water and whisk until butter melts and ingredients are blended (texture will be grainy). Remove bowl from over water; cool mixture to lukewarm if necessary. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Add flour over and fold in.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool brownies in pan. Makes about 15 brownies.


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  • Tangled Noodle January 20, 2009 at 5:38 am

    This is a great all-around post: informative, personal and has a recipe for a sweet treat!! I’m a relatively recent coffee lover and although I call myself “addicted” I usually limit myself to just 2 cups per day, the reason being that I’m still trying to wean myself off all the sugar I add! I agree that a lot of the appeal is in the ritual – my husband and I enjoy it on Friday evenings with a dessert or treat (otherwise, it’s a morning process for me). And the health benefits are amazing!

    I’ve never had Blue Mountain coffee before so this is something to find and try (I wonder why so much of it goes to Japan!) but my husband has brought home bags of Brazilian coffee. He loves how its served there and tells me that its offered wherever you go! Mmmmm – just reading this post at 6:30am has perked me up!

  • Erica January 20, 2009 at 5:40 am

    mmmmmm coffee! I made mine this am with almond milk and ummm yah, I’ll be back to regular milk tomorrow! This particular coffee sounds awesome

  • laura January 20, 2009 at 7:22 am

    Thanks for this. I occasionally try to give good coffee as a gift, but I’m not a coffee-lover so I’m at a bit of a loss for what to get (I usually just get the Starbucks brand–feel free to laugh at me!).

  • Meg January 20, 2009 at 8:19 am

    I love this post and I love coffee! What an awesome recipe!

  • Mark Salinas January 20, 2009 at 11:03 am

    I love coffee! Thanks for this!

  • Daily Spud January 20, 2009 at 11:19 am

    Coffee for me is all about ritual too. By and large it’s a morning thing – I so look forward to that first cup of the day. These days, I do try restrict my overall caffeine intake (both coffee and black tea). I’ve been through real caffeine addiction and withdrawal phases at times and that’s no fun – as with everything, moderation is the key! And of course, if you’re going to drink coffee, you may as well drink the good stuff – I’ve heard of, but never tried, Blue Mountain coffee. I’d love to give it a whirl 🙂

  • healthy ashley January 20, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    The coffee brownies sound so decadent! I bet you had some good coffee! I love it’s smell when it’s fresh!

  • Jolene January 20, 2009 at 4:31 pm

    oooh, I’ve never been much of a coffee drinker until just recently, this sounds great.

  • Selba January 20, 2009 at 8:23 pm

    Never heard about this Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee… interesting!

  • gastroanthropologist January 21, 2009 at 1:57 am

    Thanks for sharing…I will definitely be trying to get some of this stuff.

    Like many of the others, I love the ritual of coffee. I have one (LARGE) cup in the late morning. It’s 15 minutes when I can relax and enjoy. Usually, I have it with some milk, but I’ll add chocolate if I’m not feeling my best.

    I’d like to drink it in the evening, but it messes with my sleep, even with decaf (I thinks its probably a mental thing). So at night its just hot chocolate.

    I’d really like a cup of coffee under those majestic blue mountains though!

  • Lori January 21, 2009 at 2:32 am

    TN – I’ve come a long way with weaning off sugar myself. I’ve really started enjoying the coffee flavor, but I’m not drinking it completely black. I like a little sweetness and milk.

    My husband never drank coffee until he came to Brazil. He has it every morning now. They drink it as a shot size and it is more like espresso, but they like theirs SWEET. I like to order here with milk and add my own sugar.

    Ha, ha! Yeah it is offered everywhere from the grocery store to the place I pay our rent. 🙂

    Erica – Not liking the almond milk? I haven’t tried it yet.

    laura – I would love to be on the receiving end of those gifts. 🙂 Not laughing here, I like the Starbucks stuff.

    Meg – I love it too! The brownies were crazy good.

    Mark – You are welcome!

    Daily Spud – I have to admit I’ve gone through the unhealthy addiction as well. As long as I don’t get headaches when I have to miss it some mornings I’m okay with my intake. The more I enjoy coffee I’m finding the better quality I want it to be. Yes, I believe I’ve become a coffee snob. 🙂

    healthy ashley – I love the smell of coffee too. My mom always says that as well, even though she doesn’t drink it.

    Jolene – Thanks for stopping by with your comment. I think I started drinking it in college and never looked back. Ha, ha!

    Selba – Thanks for stopping by with your comment. It is some good stuff!

    gastro – Definitely try it if you have the chance. When I was trying to get used to coffee I used to mix it with hot chocolate. Very good!

  • Dr. J January 21, 2009 at 2:44 pm

    A few years ago, I had a Jamaican friend give me some Blue Mountain coffee as a birthday present! It’s still my favorite coffee!!

    http://calorielab.com/news/categories/dr-j-will-see-you-now/

  • Lori January 22, 2009 at 1:51 pm

    Hi Dr. J – Thanks for stopping by with your comment. It is by far my favorite too. What a great friend you have! 🙂

  • Chadwick January 30, 2009 at 8:46 am

    Visit the URL below for the coffee cultivation process, history, recipes & more!
    http://www.jamaicanbluemountaincoffeeonline.com/

  • Paul C. February 5, 2009 at 12:50 pm

    How can Caffeine Addiction cause an energy rise in your body.

    Caffeine is currently of the most consumed substances in the world nowadays, but many people ignore caffeine effects in the body, especially when a person suffers caffeine addiction or abuses of it somehow.

    In this article I would like to point out the most negative caffeine effects on your body and what caffeine energy produces on your body, as well as mentioning some special facts about caffeine addiction.

    Drinking various cups of coffees in a day is not good at all, especially if we drink it in the late afternoon or night, because the caffeine will stay in our bodies for up to eight hours, which affects our sleep.

    Caffeine also affects the levels of cortisol in the body, leading to more cravings for carbohydrates and fats and mass weight onto our stomachs; abdominal fat causes bigger health risks than other kinds of fat. However, if you drink coffee in the morning and exercise straight afterwards, it can help you to burn fat 30 percent more efficiently than without taking it, because it helps to keep blood sugar levels up, making us less hungry.

    Caffeine energy is understood as the energy that people usually experience when they consume caffeine. Caffeine energy usually gives our energy levels a temporary increase, but after it disappears we may suffer mild depression and start feeling lethargy, making it harder to exercise. So in other words, caffeine energy causes a quick improvement in our energy levels but it is just temporary and will cause an energy decrease afterwards making it hard for us to exercise.

    You can find more info at: http://yourcaffeineaddiction.com/

  • Lori February 5, 2009 at 3:19 pm

    Paul C. – I do hope you’ll be back to follow up, however, I doubt it because of the nice spam you plastered in my comments.

    You are certainly entitled to your own opinion and may have some scientific research to support it. However, I also have scientific support for my own.

    I find your comment culturally ignorant. Countries around the world have consumed coffee for generations. It is part of who they are. I am currently living in one. Personally I would suggest you opening your mind a bit.

    In addition, how about becoming a person with real thoughts and opinions, not just spammer.

  • Anonymous March 29, 2011 at 3:40 pm

    I went to Jamaica w/my girlfriends this past week and bought some of this coffee for my father. I didn’t even think about his nut allergies…

    Any chance you know if I need to worry about that?

  • Lori March 30, 2011 at 3:24 pm

    What brand did you buy? To be on the safe side, I would call or email the company via info on the package and confirm that there isn’t any contamination. You never know when foods are processed in facilities that also process nuts.

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