History of Our Kona Coffee

Kona Coffee of course is grown on the Kona Coast on Hawaii Island known as the Big Island. The coffee is grown on the leeward (western) slopes of the Hualalai and Mauna Loa mountains (actually volcanoes). With the richness of the earth because of the lava in the soil and the weather found in these areas, Kona Coffee is known for its outstanding taste worldwide.

Because of the terrain, Kona Coffee is hand-picked in its red “cherry” stage between August and January. This of course contributes to the cost of the coffee because machinery cannot be used, and laborers must be paid. There are multiple pickings as the beans ripen, and then a process of steps is completed before the coffee is ready for distribution and sale. 15 pounds of cherry become about 2 pounds of roasted coffee! Really!

The Big Island is a wonderful “melting pot” of ethnicity as over the years people were brought in from other countries to assist the coffee farmers with the labor needed from the beginning to the end of the process. Approximately 3,000 acres of coffee are planted on many local farms that average 5 acres at an elevation of about 500 to 3200 feet above sea level. These trees produce about 2,000,000 pounds of coffee annually.

If you like the smell of gardenias, you will enjoy being in Kona while the trees are blooming with their beautiful white flowers (“Kona snow”) in February and March because they are part of the gardenia family.

Kona Coffee must be actually grown in Kona to be called Kona Coffee legally. There are many blends of coffee, with about 90% imported coffees and 10% of Kona. Of course, this can be sold for much less than 100% Kona Coffee, and it must be stated as such.

Kona Coffee is known for its excellent flavor.