Guadeloupe Bonifieur
Encyclopedia
The Guadeloupe Bonifieur is a variety of coffee
grown in Guadeloupe
. Guadeloupe Bonifieur is the ancestor
of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
and is very rare.The island has a long tradition of coffee growing which is now being rediscovered due to ecotourism
. The fresh air, high altitude, and abundance of rain create ideal conditions for growing this Arabica
variety. The variety is called Guadeloupe Bonifieur because of its high quality and great taste, and because, in the past, it was used to enhance lower quality blends. Connoisseurs consider it one of the best coffees in the world, even though it is only available from a few distributors.
coffee from Guadeloupe
was used for a long time to improve commercial blends being traded around the world. The name Bonifieur comes from the French "to improve", and is derived from the coffee's enhancing qualities. The Guadeloupe Bonifieur is considered by connoisseurs as "one of the best coffees in the world".
However, there is no official definition of the Bonifieur. Producers refuse to establish a product characterisation because of the extreme diversity of cultural techniques and inconsistent quality.
Some historians even have different version of the name's origin. According to some, the producers would keep the Guadeloupe Habitant, of superior quality, for themselves and the rest, of lesser quality was exported. According to others, the “café bonifieur” was of better quality, therefore was exported. Guadeloupe Bonifieur is notorious for its mystery, as some claim it to be mythical.
, was successful in cultivating coffee, and some beans were planted on nearby Guadeloupe. After 1743, 11750 hectares were allocated to coffee plantations. The famous Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
is the same variety, and was imported from Martinique to Jamaica by Sir Nicholas Lawes
and grown in the three Blue Mountain parishes. Guadeloupe Bonifieur and Jamaican Blue Mountain are very similar.
The French Revolution
, and coffee diseases decreased the plantation. In 1859, only 2009 hectares remained. The Grande Riviere valley only accounted for 6 great estates then: Loiseau, Vitalis, Sainte – Anne, Beausejour, La Grivelière, Barthole.
The coffee production in Guadeloupe
decreased over time. The French colony used to export 6000 tons of coffee to mainland France at the end of the 17th century under the name “cafe bonifieur”. However, the increase in taxes due to the Blocus in early 18th century reduced the export to 1000 tons. Heavy competition damaged the coffee industry, and the production decreased to 225 tons during the 18th century.
Coffee
still dominated the landscape in the early 20th century, but new diseases like the yellow rust, and a 1928 hurricane, destroyed this failing production. The banana tree, primarily used to protect the coffee trees, recovered quicker and developed at the expense of coffee trees.
After the war, the rural exodus broke the growth that took place where the export volume increased by 25%. Altitude plantations were progressively abandoned, the plots were concentrated in the piedmonts, and coffee was not mentioned in the agricultural statistics after 1965.
However, residual coffee agriculture continued to represent an income complement for some families due to the low local economic activity. Some dynamic producers revived the culture, with economic plans and identity assertion in the zone. They leaned on the patrimonial value of the “cafe bonifieur”: its reputation, typicality and history. Cultural events, museums, demonstration plantation and reconstructed farms are among the initiatives put in place and managed to attract tourists and local residents.
Today, the Guadeloupe Bonifieur is experiencing a rebirth and is now available thanks to a cooperative of coffee growers on the Basse Terre. The objective is to revive and organise coffee growing on Guadeloupe. Although only 30 tons of Guadeloupe Bonifieur is produced annually, it is sought after because of its rarity and good quality. Guadeloupe Bonifieur is the only coffee other than Jamaican Blue Mountain to be exported in barrels.
, covered by a pellicule of whitish silvery color, which separates from the bean in the roast. It has excellent cup qualities.
Guadeloupe Bonifieur is a strain of the Typica de Coffea Arabica known as le Bourbon Pointu.. It originated from the Java
offered to Louis XIV and bred in the Jardin des Plantes
. The modern day coffee plants are descended from this line, which gives them a strong patrimony specificity and value.
Malongo Coffee or Rombouts in the UK - Guadeloupe Bonifieur
Guadeloupe Spirit - UK Distributor of Guadeloupe Bonifieur - http://guadeloupespirit.com/
Guadeloupe, under the sun? - Blog Post - http://sport-and-health-club.blogrica.com/guadeloupe-under-the-sun.html
France Guide - http://other.franceguide.com/The-tourist-sites-and-events-in-France-overseas.html?NodeID=1&EditoID=188978
Merchant of coffee - unique US Distributor of Guadeloupe Bonifieur - http://merchantofcoffee.com/products/guadeloupe-bonifieur
Jamaica Blue Mountain - Originally from the French Islands - http://www.finest-taste-in-coffee.com/central-america/jamaica
Green and Roasted coffee Characteristics - http://www.coffee-beans-arabica.com/info/world_coffee_characteristics_11.htm
Great Coffee Vintage - http://www.enviedecafe.com/fr/news/4-100-origines-pures-les-plus-grands-crus-du-monde.aspx
Carib Gourmet - http://www.carib-gourmet.com
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
grown in Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
. Guadeloupe Bonifieur is the ancestor
Ancestor
An ancestor is a parent or the parent of an ancestor ....
of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee or Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is a classification of coffee grown in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. The best lots of Blue Mountain coffee are noted for their mild flavour and lack of bitterness...
and is very rare.The island has a long tradition of coffee growing which is now being rediscovered due to ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
. The fresh air, high altitude, and abundance of rain create ideal conditions for growing this Arabica
Coffea arabica
Coffea arabica is a species of Coffea originally indigenous to the mountains of Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula, hence its name, and also from the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan. It is also known as the "coffee shrub of Arabia", "mountain coffee" or "arabica coffee"...
variety. The variety is called Guadeloupe Bonifieur because of its high quality and great taste, and because, in the past, it was used to enhance lower quality blends. Connoisseurs consider it one of the best coffees in the world, even though it is only available from a few distributors.
Definition
The arabicaCoffea arabica
Coffea arabica is a species of Coffea originally indigenous to the mountains of Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula, hence its name, and also from the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan. It is also known as the "coffee shrub of Arabia", "mountain coffee" or "arabica coffee"...
coffee from Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
was used for a long time to improve commercial blends being traded around the world. The name Bonifieur comes from the French "to improve", and is derived from the coffee's enhancing qualities. The Guadeloupe Bonifieur is considered by connoisseurs as "one of the best coffees in the world".
However, there is no official definition of the Bonifieur. Producers refuse to establish a product characterisation because of the extreme diversity of cultural techniques and inconsistent quality.
Some historians even have different version of the name's origin. According to some, the producers would keep the Guadeloupe Habitant, of superior quality, for themselves and the rest, of lesser quality was exported. According to others, the “café bonifieur” was of better quality, therefore was exported. Guadeloupe Bonifieur is notorious for its mystery, as some claim it to be mythical.
History
Coffee was introduced to Guadeloupe in 1721 by Gabriel de Clieu, and gradually supplanted the cocoa cultivation. In 1720, Sir de Clieu, based in MartiniqueMartinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, was successful in cultivating coffee, and some beans were planted on nearby Guadeloupe. After 1743, 11750 hectares were allocated to coffee plantations. The famous Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee or Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is a classification of coffee grown in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. The best lots of Blue Mountain coffee are noted for their mild flavour and lack of bitterness...
is the same variety, and was imported from Martinique to Jamaica by Sir Nicholas Lawes
Nicholas Lawes
Sir Nicholas Lawes was Governor of Jamaica from 1718 to 1722.He was a British knight.In his capacity as Governor during the Golden Age of Piracy he tried many pirates, among them "Calico Jack" Rackham, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Robert Deal, & Charles Vane...
and grown in the three Blue Mountain parishes. Guadeloupe Bonifieur and Jamaican Blue Mountain are very similar.
The French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, and coffee diseases decreased the plantation. In 1859, only 2009 hectares remained. The Grande Riviere valley only accounted for 6 great estates then: Loiseau, Vitalis, Sainte – Anne, Beausejour, La Grivelière, Barthole.
The coffee production in Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
decreased over time. The French colony used to export 6000 tons of coffee to mainland France at the end of the 17th century under the name “cafe bonifieur”. However, the increase in taxes due to the Blocus in early 18th century reduced the export to 1000 tons. Heavy competition damaged the coffee industry, and the production decreased to 225 tons during the 18th century.
Coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
still dominated the landscape in the early 20th century, but new diseases like the yellow rust, and a 1928 hurricane, destroyed this failing production. The banana tree, primarily used to protect the coffee trees, recovered quicker and developed at the expense of coffee trees.
After the war, the rural exodus broke the growth that took place where the export volume increased by 25%. Altitude plantations were progressively abandoned, the plots were concentrated in the piedmonts, and coffee was not mentioned in the agricultural statistics after 1965.
However, residual coffee agriculture continued to represent an income complement for some families due to the low local economic activity. Some dynamic producers revived the culture, with economic plans and identity assertion in the zone. They leaned on the patrimonial value of the “cafe bonifieur”: its reputation, typicality and history. Cultural events, museums, demonstration plantation and reconstructed farms are among the initiatives put in place and managed to attract tourists and local residents.
Today, the Guadeloupe Bonifieur is experiencing a rebirth and is now available thanks to a cooperative of coffee growers on the Basse Terre. The objective is to revive and organise coffee growing on Guadeloupe. Although only 30 tons of Guadeloupe Bonifieur is produced annually, it is sought after because of its rarity and good quality. Guadeloupe Bonifieur is the only coffee other than Jamaican Blue Mountain to be exported in barrels.
Botanics
Guadeloupe Bonifieur is green, long, and slightly thick beanCoffee bean
A coffee bean is a seed of a coffee plant. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit often referred to as a cherry. Even though they are seeds, they are referred to as 'beans' because of their resemblance to true beans. The fruits - coffee cherries or coffee berries - most commonly contain two...
, covered by a pellicule of whitish silvery color, which separates from the bean in the roast. It has excellent cup qualities.
Guadeloupe Bonifieur is a strain of the Typica de Coffea Arabica known as le Bourbon Pointu.. It originated from the Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
offered to Louis XIV and bred in the Jardin des Plantes
Jardin des Plantes
The Jardin des Plantes is the main botanical garden in France. It is one of seven departments of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle. It is situated in the 5ème arrondissement, Paris, on the left bank of the river Seine and covers 28 hectares .- Garden plan :The grounds of the Jardin des...
. The modern day coffee plants are descended from this line, which gives them a strong patrimony specificity and value.
External links
Malongo Coffee - Coffee FarmingMalongo Coffee or Rombouts in the UK - Guadeloupe Bonifieur
Guadeloupe Spirit - UK Distributor of Guadeloupe Bonifieur - http://guadeloupespirit.com/
Guadeloupe, under the sun? - Blog Post - http://sport-and-health-club.blogrica.com/guadeloupe-under-the-sun.html
France Guide - http://other.franceguide.com/The-tourist-sites-and-events-in-France-overseas.html?NodeID=1&EditoID=188978
Merchant of coffee - unique US Distributor of Guadeloupe Bonifieur - http://merchantofcoffee.com/products/guadeloupe-bonifieur
Jamaica Blue Mountain - Originally from the French Islands - http://www.finest-taste-in-coffee.com/central-america/jamaica
Green and Roasted coffee Characteristics - http://www.coffee-beans-arabica.com/info/world_coffee_characteristics_11.htm
Great Coffee Vintage - http://www.enviedecafe.com/fr/news/4-100-origines-pures-les-plus-grands-crus-du-monde.aspx
Carib Gourmet - http://www.carib-gourmet.com
Sources
- Genetics of coffee quality, Leroy T., Ribeyre F., Bertrand B., Charmetant P., Dufour M., Montagnon C., Marraccini P., Pot D.. 2006.
- Effects of shade on the development and sugar metabolism of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) fruits, 2008, vol. 46, no5-6, pp. 569–579 [11 page(s) (article)]
- afm.cirad.fr/documents/5_Agro_industries/CD_AFM/.../570.pdf
- Coffee: terroirs and qualities, Montagnon C. (ed.), Biggins P.. 2006. Versailles : Ed. Quae, 172 p..