Kona Coffee

Kona Coffee

Known throughout Hawaii and to the world, Kona coffee is a gourmet type of coffee. It comes from Hawaii, but is grown and cultivated solely from the Kona region, which is located on the west coast of the Hawaii Island.

Kona coffee is commercially valued for its distinct aroma and flavor. It is one of the most expensive types of coffee available on the market, and many consumers have considered it as the best of the best.

But what makes the Kona coffee really best?

There is one factor that makes Kona coffee such a special variety – the tropical environment from which it is grown. According to some researches, Kona is grown and cultivated on the dark volcanic lava rock slopes of Kona, Hawaii. They grow in rich volcanic soil where sunny mornings and cloudy afternoons strike to provide a natural shade. The plants are shielded by the volcanoes from strong trade winds that would otherwise destroy the coffee plants. The volcanoes also give Kona the ashen soil from which they grow and thrive to produce the gourmet beans. Growing in this kind of unique environment, it's no wonder that Kona coffee possesses a distinct edge over the other coffee varieties available in the world.

The way the Kona coffee is processed and produced also play a vital role to Kona's being a great variety of coffee. Typically, the coffee is harvested by hand. The beans are handpicked carefully, usually from late August to late January. Perhaps what is interesting to know about the Kona coffee production is that they are handpicked meticulously to ensure that only the matured beans are harvested, and since the coffee beans of this kind do not ripen all at the same time, each coffee plant will be picked by a number of times throughout the harvest season.

The Kona coffee is also pulped, dried and then hulled prior to being graded. The beans are sorted into a number of sizes, shapes and grades with the use of machinery. They are sun dried and roasted depending on what is desired by the company. What usually happens during the sun drying process is that the beans are pulped first to remove the outer flesh. It is fermented to provide it a clear flavor and is thoroughly washed in clean water. Then, they are sun dried typically on huge decks, known throughout Hawaii as hoshidanas. Once dried, the Kona coffee beans are milled and prepared for the roasting process.

Speaking of roasting, Kona coffee is usually roasted in a number of ways. For instance, the flavored Kona is either sprayed or powdered immediately after roasting, and many of the Kona coffee producers have maintained this technique to provide the coffee an added flavor. Just like the other varieties, the Kona is roasted in different degrees, depending on what is desired. After the roasting, the oxidation process follows, leaving the Kona coffee at its freshest stage.

Prepared and produced in such processes, Kona coffee tastes deliciously rich. They are slightly acidic and are commonly distinguished for their heady aroma and spicy, wine-like taste. Today, Kona comes in a number of varieties, and one of the most valued varieties is the pearberry.