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Each time I go to Jamaica, one of my favorite things I look forward to is Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. The rich savory taste, distinctive aroma and overall delectable experience are hard to replicate with any other coffee. Yet, I have always wondered, “why so expensive?” A pound of the good stuff ranges from $20-$30 per pound! Certainly nothing to scoff at regardless of your budget. So, I did some digging into the subject. Apparently, a lot of coffee is grown on flat, agricultural land. Blue Mountain Coffee is actually grown on elevated land in a region (Blue Mountain) between Kingston and Port Antonio at elevations up to 7,500 ft. This is actually one of the highest mountain regions in the entire Caribbean. As a result, it makes harvesting the crop extremely labor intensive, since farmers have to climb elevated terrain to pick them. In addition, each bean is individually hand inspected, with each batch passed on by a senior sorter and then by a plant manager. Finally, only a limited amount is produced each year which adds to the demand. As a point of comparison, Ethiopia produces 800 million pounds per year, whereas Jamaica only produces 60,000 pounds per year. Approximately 80% is shipped to Japan with the remaining 20% being shipped to the rest of the world. Needless to say, having an understanding of how it is grown, harvested, inspected and produced, now gives me a greater appreciation for the price. Its exquisite flavor, combined with the rarity and meticulous production process justifies its status as one of the world’s most expensive coffees. It truly falls under the category of “some things are just worth it!”
I thought for a long time about the content of this blog and decided to post a recipe for an old-time Jamaican favorite, Rum Punch. I decided on this not necessarily because it is a wonderful summer drink, but because of its contents and potential parallels with life. Specifically, the recipe calls for, “sour, sweet, strong and weak” which pertains to specific ingredients used that I have described in more detail below. The strong I perceive to be those days when we are at our best, the weak for those days that we are not, the sweet for those days that are perfect and the sour for those days that are tough. Yet, all four are necessary parts of life and when embraced and managed, can be combined to make a wonderful, delicious, and potent final product. I hope you try the recipe and enjoy it to the fullest! The secret formula to making a good Jamaican rum punch cocktail is 1 part sour, 2 parts sweet, 3 parts strong and 4 parts weak. The lime is sour, the syrup is sweet, the rum is strong, and the fruit juice is weak. measure sour (lime juice) measure sweet (sugar or clear syrup) measure strong (rum) measure weak (water/fruit juice); use less sugar if using fruit juice Stir all together. Garnish with fresh fruit and serve in small punch glasses. Serve over ice. Substitute a little honey for some sugar to make the drink smoother. A little Grenadine syrup and a few drops of Angostura bitters will give it more flavor: so, too, would a little pineapple juice. Enjoy!
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