Premium Kona Coffee Delights Gourmet Coffee Lovers
The premium Arabica varietal coffees that are grown throughout the Kona region on the island of Hawaii are considered among the world’s top gourmet coffees.
Although the elevations of the coffee farms in Kona are significantly lower than the elevations where most of the world’s other top specialty coffees are grown, Kona coffee provides a good example of how it isn’t the elevation where coffee is grown which matters as much as it is the time it takes the coffee cherry (fruit) to mature on the coffee plant.
In general, a slower maturation time leads to a denser, and thus higher quality coffee bean. The unique climate of the Kona coffee growing region provides optimal conditions for a very long maturation period for the coffee cherry, and this long maturation period leads to a very dense coffee bean, which in fact is the primary factor in coffee bean quality.
The 30-mile-long Kona Coffee Belt, which is only about one to two miles wide, sits at elevations from 2,500 feet above sea level all the way down to about 500 feet above sea level. In contrast, many of the other top world coffees are grown at elevations from 4,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level.
More than 500 Kona coffee farms are found within the Kona Coffee Belt, and most of these farms are only about 5 acres in size. Many of the farms are still run by fifth-generation descendants of the original Kona coffee farmers who were the pioneers of the crop in Hawaii more than a century ago.
The skill of these long time Kona coffee farmers in tending to the plants ensures a top quality product year after year. The careful hand picking of only the ripest coffee cherry is one factor in the consistency of the high quality Kona coffee beans.
Also very important to the consistent high quality of Kona coffee is the careful wet processing of the Kona coffee cherry, including a fermentation stage to remove the mucilage, washing the beans followed by proper drying, milling, and finally the grading the Kona coffee beans followed by proper coffee roasting.
There are many reasons that gourmet Kona coffee is one of the world’s most respected premium coffees-from the rich volcanic soils of the Kona region to the bright morning sun that is tempered by cloudy afternoons which protect the plants from the hottest hours of the day.
Graced by ideal growing conditions, Kona coffee is nurtured from soil to sip to provide the highest quality coffee beans, and allowing you to experience the joys of a truly fine American coffee.
To read about more Kona Coffee Farms see Kona Coffee Farms, Tours, and Coffeehouses.