100 Kona Coffee

Coffee (Coffea arabica), grown on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South
Kona Districts of Hawaii's Big Island is known as Kona coffee. It is one of the world's most
costly coffees. "Kona" coffee can only be found in the Kona Districts. The combination of sunny
mornings, cloudy or rainy afternoons, low wind, and moderate evenings, as well as porous,
mineral-rich volcanic soil, creates ideal growing conditions for coffee. The Hawaiian name for
coffee is kope, which is pronounced, "coffee."

What’s so special about Kona

Coffee?
The distinctive island microclimate and extra care are done by generations after generation of
coffee producers distinguish 100% Kona Coffee from all other coffees.

The Kona coffee trees benefit from a cycle of clear sunny mornings, cloudy wet afternoons, and
moderate nights that allow them to grow slowly and flourish. Avocado, mango, and macadamia
nut trees provide natural shade for the plants, which grow on excellent volcanic soil.

From handpicking to milling, Kona Coffee is treated with the highest care, just like exquisite
wines. The ultimate result is a coffee that is delicate yet rich in flavor and scent. There is no
difference between hand-picked Kona and machine-harvested coffee beans. When you consume
a cup of Kona coffee, you're consuming a rare coffee that accounts for only one percentage point
of all coffee farmed worldwide.

Actually, Mark Twain praised Kona Coffee in 1866, saying, "Kona Coffee has a richer flavor
than any other, be it grown where it may and called by whatever name you please." The high
elevation, rich volcanic soil, cloud coverage, and ideal atmospheric conditions make Kona the
perfect spot to grow coffee that produces coffee that is as flawless as possible.

What Does 100 Kona Coffee Taste

Like?
Simply describing the flavor of Kona as "fruity coffee" does not do it credit. Kona must be subtly
sweet and medium-bodied, with just the perfect amount of acidity, according to tradition. The
flavor should not be harsh and should immediately enliven your taste buds.
The acidity in coffee is what gives it that much-anticipated sting when it strikes your taste
senses. Kona coffees have a lively acidity that is modest in comparison to other coffees. A real
Kona body has a rich flavor. On the taste, it's even been described as slightly buttery by others.
Most people connect this coffee flavor with a pure Kona blend.

The sweet fruity tastes of Kona coffee are released first during the roasting process. The
fruitiness fades as the roasting progresses, and the coffee takes on a full-bodied flavor. The
flavor begins to hint at its spicy and sometimes nutty undertones which are the most noticeable
depending on the type of roast.

Is Kona Coffee Only Grown in

Hawaii?
Apparently, the Kona district of Hawaii, the United States' only coffee-growing state, is where
Kona coffee is only produced. Much of the west coast of the large island is occupied by the Kona
district. Even so, only a small percentage of the land is suited for the production of the world-
famous Kona coffee.

The place referred to as Kona Coffee Belt is what is about 30 miles long and 2 miles wide, and
it's located between 500' and 3,200' elevation on the foothill of the Mauna Loa and Hualalai
volcanoes. There are hundreds of coffee farms in this region, most of which are modest and
family-owned.

Only the Kona Coffee Belt on Hawaii's Big Island can produce Kona coffee. The Kona District
boasts a unique mixture of soil, elevation, and moderate climate that no other region on Earth can
match. The Kona coffee belt's elevation, rich volcanic soil, and pleasant climate make it perfect
for growing high-quality coffee beans.

The temperature and soil in which coffee is grown provide optimum growing conditions for the
beans. The Kona Mountains' rich soil and western hillsides provide shelter and productive
farmland. The weather aids coffee growth by providing natural watering in the form of bright
mornings paired with light afternoon rain. These factors combine to produce a robust coffee with
a powerful aroma, gorgeous bright flavors reminiscent of red wine, and spice undertones, making
Hawaiian Kona the ideal coffee for the cold season.

This is why Kona coffee has a high monetary value. Kona coffee accounts for only 1% of total
coffee production worldwide.

Harvest Season of Kona Coffee

In the months of February and March, Kona coffee blooms. The tree is covered in little
white flowers referred to as "Kona snow." In April, green berries develop. Red fruit, labeled
"cherry" because of its likeness to a cherry, begins to ripen for picking in late August. Each tree
produces roughly 15 pounds of cherries, which yields approximately two pounds of roasted
coffee when hand-picked numerous times around August and January.

Cherry should be processed within 24 hours of being picked, typically through a wet mill process
removes the pulp from the bean. To eliminate much of the internal sugary cellulose fiber from
the internal bean covering, mechanical mucilage or fermentation are utilized. On drying floors
and/or in mechanical dryers, the beans are dried to parchment. The parchment can be properly
stored in burlap bags in cooled vaults (65 percent moisture and 65° F) for long periods of time
once the humidity of the bean is reduced to less than 12 percent.

Coffee requires a unique mix of sunlight, soil, and water. It can only be grown effectively in a
few spots throughout the world.

Most Kona coffee producers sell their fresh coffee cherries to Kona manufacturers, but there has
recently been a trend to sell an individual farm's coffee at the parchment, green, and roasted
stages of the process. For Kona coffee, there are over 100 private labels.

Conclusion
Kona Coffee is a world-famous coffee grown entirely on the Big Island's slopes of two
volcanoes. The porous and mineral-rich volcanic soil, combined with bright mornings but
gloomy or wet afternoons, minimal wind, and temperate evenings, give Big Island coffee a
distinct flavor.