Showing posts with label kona coffee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kona coffee. Show all posts

Monday, September 15, 2008

Kona Coffee

Hawaiian Coffee

Kona Coffee is considered to be one of the purest coffees in the world. Only grown on the big island of Hawaii, in the Kona growing region. Kona coffee requires a special amount of sunlight and water that only Hawaii’s warm climate can give. The coffee is harvested by hand ensuring only the best beans. The ripe berries are red when they are ready to be picked, they are then dried, pulped to remove the outside skin and hulled before being sorted by a machine into different grades depending on their size. The biggest beans are more expensive because they are said to be the most flavorful. After the sorting, they are roasted and sealed in a can to preserve freshness, and are ready to be sold all over the world.

History

Samuel Ruggles was the first man to introduce Kona coffee to Hawaii in 1828. Although at the time it was known as arabica coffee, it later became known as Kona coffee after growing so well in the Kona region that was home to thick volcanic soil that made for perfect conditions for growing coffee of all kinds. After many different cultures had experienced the rich and flavorful Kona coffee, its popularity grew immensely, and became one of the greatest economic developments of the 1880s. Farmers experienced ups and downs during WWII, but the sales slowly progressed afterward and have been booming ever since. Most people consider this rare and delectable coffee to be one of the finest, and certainly the most expensive coffee of the past few decades, and this statement is probably true, even Mark Twain wrote about it saying “I think Kona coffee has a richer flavor than any other be it grown where it may.”

Buying Kona Coffee

It is important to pay close attention to labels when buying Kona coffee some companies say that their coffee is the purest and finest, but some of the time this is not the case. Some of these coffees only contain a very small amount of the actual Kona coffee, they are usually blended with some sort of South American coffee. For this reason, be sure to buy 100% Kona beans from a true Hawaiian market. Online is usually the best way to find Kona beans because most cannot find them in a regular market, and they are usually fresh and can be shipped in just a matter of days.

Grades of Kona Coffee

Kona beans come in many different grades, like Extra fancy, Fancy, Kona #1, Prime, Kona#1 Peaberry, and Kona Peaberry prime. Kona beans are usually graded by size with some farmers saying that bigger is usually better, others say that it does not affect the end taste of the coffee. One of the most important parts involved in making the coffee taste well is the harvesting and processing part of the job i.e. hat is where only the best Kona beans are picked and processed leaving only the finest to be sealed and shipped. It is better to buy whole Kona beans rather then ground, because of freshness, the whole Kona beans will last for months, while the ground will only last about one month at the most. Kona coffee has been around for hundreds of years and has no sign of slowing down in popularity. It is sure to go on being the best coffee of the age.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Delicious Kona Peaberry Coffee Will Not Disappoint

Whenever I have a friend traveling to Hawaii I insist they bring me back a bag of the famous Kona Peaberry Coffee. Kona coffee is known for its smooth and mellow yet full-bodied flavor, a very deep, rich bean producing a very aromatic cup of coffee. Kona's elevated location is perfect for growing the best beans. Its climate of sunny mornings, cloudy or rainy afternoons combine to make a superior coffee bean.

There are many brands of coffee sold in Hawaii, but only one that has been specifically marked "Kona Peaberry Coffee." Only coffee grown in a specific area of Kona can be called Peaberry and is graded "prime." It is one of the only beans in Hawaii that has received the grade of "prime" and is stamped that way on the package. Do not accept substitutions.

Because Kona Peaberry coffee has a lower acid content than other beans it brews a smoother tasting cup of coffee. This rare bean is unusual due to its cylinder shape, producing one bean instead of two, and makes up only five percent of the coffee crop. Some believe that because of its differences it yields a darker and stronger but smoother bean.

It has been said that coffee prepared in a French Press coffee pot is the best way to taste the actual flavor of the coffee bean. If you have Kona Peaberry coffee beans what better way to thoroughly enjoy their bold yet smooth flavor. When coffee is prepared in a French Press coffee pot it produces a concentrated yet very smooth and rich tasting coffee. You can imagine how the combination of Kona Peaberry coffee, which is already great tasting, and brewing it in the French Press coffee pot would kick it up a notch and make a more intense flavored cup of coffee. One sip of this rare coffee will spoil you for any other.

To be sure you are getting Kona Peaberry coffee check the label carefully. It can only be labeled Peaberry if it is one hundred percent Peaberry. Just because you are spending more and it says "Kona Blend" or "Estate" does not mean it is Peaberry coffee. Most Hawaiian coffees are blends of several different types of coffee berries roasted together to create the blend.

The only truly satisfying cup of coffee will be Kona Peaberry coffee, if you are willing to pay a little more. Get more info on gourmet coffee French Press Coffee