| Think Hawaii and basically you think vacation and | | | | acres in size. Their small size may inhibit large scale |
| paradise--sun, surf, beach, nature, luau, even | | | | production but the shrubs do receive more attention. |
| honeymoon. For the coffee lover, Hawaii means real | | | | Being able to receive specialized care and its rarity |
| fancy coffee. Specifically, Hawaiian Kona coffee. | | | | are two main factors why Kona coffee commands a |
| Hawaiian Kona coffee owes its aura of distinction to | | | | higher price. In fact, the specialized care that it |
| its history, tradition and Mother Nature. True Kona | | | | receives includes hand picking each cherry from the |
| coffee are cultivated on the volcanic slopes of what | | | | coffee shrubs. This is in stark contrast to machine |
| is known as the Kona coffee belt. Combining the | | | | harvesting which is required in other kinds of large |
| richness of the volcanic soil with the weather | | | | quantity farms. Hand picking each one gives the |
| patterns of the Kona district and you have the | | | | farmers a chance to examine up close the quality of |
| perfect condition with which to grow this particular | | | | the coffee cherries. |
| type of coffee bean. The result is one of the | | | | If your curiosity has so far been piqued and you are |
| fanciest and premium coffees in the world. | | | | raring to buy your first bag of Kona coffee beans, |
| The history and tradition of Kona coffee is unlike | | | | here is a caveat--not all Kona coffee sold in the |
| those of other coffee growing regions where the | | | | market are pure. When browsing the marketplace, |
| coffee shrub is indigenous and are cared for by their | | | | you should be aware that there is "100% Kona |
| own people. Kona coffee can actually attribute its | | | | coffee" as against "Kona blend". 100% Kona is quite |
| survival and existence to many different nationalities. | | | | self-explanatory. "Kona blend" is what you should be |
| It was a Spaniard who planted the first coffee bean | | | | wary of. |
| in the island of Oahu. Then, Kona coffee beans | | | | There are vendors who mix Kona beans with |
| became a by-product of beans that were brought in | | | | common beans such as Robusta and the amount of |
| from Brazil back in the nineteenth century by an | | | | Kona beans could be as little as one bean per pound. |
| Englishman. Towards the end of the nineteenth | | | | This is what is passed off as "Kona blend". Hawaii |
| century, the crash in world coffee prices almost | | | | state law dictates that sellers of Kona blend should |
| drove the Hawaiian coffee farms into extinction. | | | | include 10% Kona beans. But outside of Hawaii, the |
| Owners leased parts of their farms to tenant | | | | amount of Kona beans could be significantly less. |
| farmers, majority of whom were Japanese | | | | Needless to say, there is also a disparity in pricing |
| immigrants. Later on, farm hands originating from the | | | | with 100% Kona being more expensive. If the price is |
| Philippines and Europe would contribute to the growth | | | | objectionable, there is always the cheaper |
| of this type of coffee. But even before the farms | | | | alternative--devoid of work ethic, culture, history, and |
| were leased, Hawaiians and Chinese largely made up | | | | tradition. But when you decide to go with the real |
| the work force. | | | | thing, perhaps you can whisper a word of thanks to |
| This brief historical account sets up the distinction | | | | the generations of hard working farmers who have |
| that Kona coffee enjoys today. As a result of leasing | | | | nurtured the 100% Kona coffee beans into the taste |
| out different parts of the original coffee farms, | | | | of paradise that it is today. |
| today's farms range anywhere from only two to five | | | | |