Join us in Jamaica’s exquisite Blue Mountains where the truest, world renowned, Blue Mountain Coffee beans are grown. Like France’s ‘Appellation D’Origine Contrôlée Champagne’, which strictly controls where authentic Champagne grapes may be grown, the area where Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee plants are cultivated, is also strictly controlled.

There is a mystic to Jamaica’s Blue Mountains, a majesty of landscape; a richness of green; rolling mist; clean cool breeze; quiet with bird song, flowers, gardens and of course there’s the coffee! World renowned, Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee is scarce. The island’s esteemed brand, represents roughly 5/100% of the world’s annual coffee production; and of that, 80% has been pre-sold to Japan, leaving a piddling amount of true Blue Mountain Coffee for us in the West, to find and enjoy.

I began this blog post thinking I could name ten books, I would recommend to anyone wanting to glean something more – insight – honest, entertaining and well articulated, about this infinitely intriguing island. But as my list evolved, it became ridiculously eclectic, from stories to essays, cookbooks & guide books, to You Tubes and sound tracks. I simply could not get a handle on the TEN LIST genre.

JAMAICA ON A PLATTER – HIGHLIGHTS Port Royal in 1600’s was a rich merchant city, homeport of pirates and buccaneers who made it the “ wickedest city on earth” and it’s destruction by earthquake in 1692, retribution for its sins. Also an important English naval station for two and a half centuries, Port Royal is on UNESCO’s list of top 10 ‘at risk’ World Heritage Sites deserving preservation. Today Port Royal is a fishing village located at the tip of the Palisadoes peninsula that joins it to Kingston. You will never be closer to Port Royal than when you disembarked from your flight to Jamaica.http://www.jnht.com/site_port_royal.php

Living as I do in the green valleys of the Trelawny countryside, Falmouth is my closest grocery store – sending me often into the old seaport town when I’m hungry. Admittedly, the pickings are slim as far as grocers go, but food wise Falmouth offers some lovely treats.

If you enjoy eating well and your idea of adventure starts with a knife and fork, Jamaica is your island. Don your baggy trousers, slip on your roomy mumu and come to Jamaica prepared to eat! Here are a couple of easy suggestions and reasons why I think they are great. Start with Jerk cuisine and Scotchies – everyone’s favorite.

Stush in the Bush is an apt description of Lisa and Chris Binns. Stush is a word Jamaicans love. It implies style, pride, and a certain arrogance about living a good life, valuing quality, what’s important. The most important ingredient in every Stush in the Bush product is love and affection; it even says so, right on the label.

It was Tammy’s birthday, and she wanted to be hiking in the Blue Mountains, with Family and close Friends. We were a group of Jamaicans, and none of us had ever hiked the Cunha Cunha Pass, a 5.5 mile mountain trail, which was first used by the Windward Maroons, (Taino and Africans who ran away to the mountains rather than stay as slaves).

Last winter I was lucky enough to tour with Stephen and Sahar-Arafat Ray. They asked for a couple days pursuing Steve’s passion – Music, and Sahar’s – Food, in southwest Jamaica. Steve has a dream job promoting Texas generated music for the Austin Public Art’s Council, and Sahar is one of Austin’s favorite cooking instructors and food bloggers – Tart Queens Kitchen. The resulting blog can be found on Sahar’s blog: http://www.tartqueenskitchen.com/?p=2278