Kona Coffee: the Pride of Hawaii

Coffee is one of the most important commodities the world over. This byproduct of coffee cherries and coffee beans has remained one of the most popular beverages.

From the time that it originated from Ethiopia centuries ago, coffee has become a household basic - something that people cannot do without.

There are two basic coffee variants: one is the traditional Arabica, and the other is Robusta coffee. Many coffee enthusiasts agree that the former has a stronger flavor than the latter, so it tastes better.

This is because Arabica coffee contains beans in its purest form - rather than Robusta coffee which only has half of the caffeine amount that can be found in Arabica coffee variants.

Due to the high demand of Arabica coffee in the industry, many rare coffee variants found only in certain places have found a niche market.

Hawaii's Kona Coffee

Aside from the gorgeous beaches, lush forests and warm people, another thing that Hawaiians are proud of is a coffee variant that is solely produced in their islands, which is the Kona coffee.

Kona is a part of the Hawaiian archipelago where this special coffee variant is grown. Kailua-Kona is the largest town in the district, and it has two districts: the northern and southern districts of Kona.

On the Dry Side of the Island

The word Kona literally means on the dry side of the land. Kona coffee if therefore grown on the dry side of Big Island, which is the largest among all the Hawaiian islands.

There are two districts which divide Kailua-Kona, and Kona coffee grows primarily on the West side of the Hawaiian archipelago.

This location, as well as the climate, makes Hawaii an ideal setting to grow Kona coffee, which has become a world-class coffee variant.

What makes coffee plants in Kona unique from other coffee plants in the world are:

1. The ideal location

Hawaii is basically a group of islands formed by volcanic slopes. Kona coffee if grown along the rocky volcanic slopes of Mount Lona and Mount Hualalai.

2. The ideal climate

Due to the tropical climate in Hawaii, the mornings are almost always warm and sunny. During the afternoon, there is a slight mist which befalls the islands, further nurturing the coffee plants.

3. The meticulous care of coffee farmers.

Most of the coffee farmers in Hawaii rely on the basic hand-picking method, ensuring the freshness of the freshly-gathered coffee cherries.

Some coffee producers use modern machinery to ensure fast harvesting when the coffee cherries are mature enough. However, a machine cannot give out the personal touch that farmers can give during harvesting.

A machine may not recognize overripe or immature coffee beans, and put them all together once harvested. This results in an impure coffee blend once the beans are processed.

On the other hand, a hand-picked batch of coffee cherries is assured of almost 100 per cent quality.

Kona coffee is also an Arabica blend, making it a truly premier coffee variant that Hawaiians can proudly offer to the world.

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in Food and Drink. For more information regarding Kona Coffee please drop by at http://www.hotcoffeeplus.com/

Kona Coffee http://www.hotcoffeeplus.com/

How Is Kona Coffee Different?

It could be the dependable cloud cover that rolls in each afternoon, protecting the delicate coffee trees from the glaring afternoon sun. It might be the dark rich volcanic soil, which contains a perfect blend of acidity and minerals, and retains just the right amount of water. But there is something different about the Kona coffee cherries produced here that has earned this coffee a worldwide reputation for excellence. Like much of Hawaii, Kona offers ideal climate conditions for growing coffee.

Peaberry is unusual because each coffee cherry contains only one bean, while all other types of Kona contain two beans per cherry. The rarest of Kona Coffee beans is Peaberry, making up only four to five percent of the entire Kona crop each year. Maybe it is simply the fact that 100% Pure Kona Coffee is rare and sometimes hard to find. The difference could also lie in the care with which Kona coffee is handpicked, ensuring that only the highest quality berries are harvested for coffee production.

Have a Taste of Jamaica's Blue Mountain Coffee

A cup of good coffee on the breakfast table is always a great way to welcome the morning. Since its inception centuries ago, coffee has become the most popular beverage and the world's most traded and sought-after commodities.

Over the years, many coffee variants have originated from different places, which paved the way for gourmet coffee to have a niche in the world market.

Aside from the basic Robusta and Arabica variants, there are other rare coffee variants which gained a good following from coffee aficionados.

First, there is the Civet coffee or Kopi Luwak, which is made from coffee berries which were eaten and excreted by the common Palm Civet. This rare process takes place only in countries like the Philippines, Sumatra, Java, Indonesia, Vietnam and India, making Civet coffee one of the more expensive variants.

Kona coffee from Hawaii, Turkish, Colombian and Maraba coffee are some other premium variants which have become popular for coffee drinkers the world over.

'Jamaica's Blue Mountains'

The island nation of Jamaica, situated within the Caribbean Sea, has more than just gorgeous beaches to offer.

The amazing Blue Mountains are located at the eastern side of Jamaica, and this is where the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is grown.

Blue Mountains is a Jamaican region where there is a wide range of hills with an almost permanent mist covering the hills giving it a bluish hue, thus the name.

This mountain range boasts of a National Park with lush rainforests and rich vegetation. It is also home to hundreds of plants and animal species unique to the region.

The upper slopes and the summit are strictly preserved as a forest. The lower slopes, with its rich, fertile soil and ideal climate, serve as the perfect setting for coffee cherries to be grown and harvested from the Blue Mountains.

'Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee: A Taste of Heaven on Earth'

Most coffee plants rely on the climate of the region where they are planted, and this produces the distinctive flavor found in the coffee cherries.

In the Blue Mountains, the tallest mountain range in the island of Jamaica, the following factors contribute to the unique flavor of the coffee:

- the hot climate - the altitude of the lower mountain peaks where the coffee plants are grown and harvested - plenty of rainfall to water the coffee plants - the rich and fertile soil of the mountains where the plants are grown

The Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is considered to be the world's finest and rarest coffee variant. Words cannot describe the taste of this premier coffee blend.

A 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee has this distinctively rich taste and aroma. Compared to other coffee variants, this has a milder flavor which is less bitter yet a little sweet, giving it that smooth, clean taste.

Because of the high quality expected of this coffee variant, the island country of Jamaica built the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board to maintain the world-class quality of every coffee bean produced in the island.

The tedious and time-consuming labor of coffee growers in planting, harvesting and processing the Blue Mountain coffee is truly amazing.

The Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is indeed a world-class variant that coffee enthusiasts around the world can sip and enjoy - up to the last drop.

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in Food and Drink. For more information regarding Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee please drop by at http://www.hotcoffeeplus.com/

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee http://www.hotcoffeeplus.com/

gourmet coffee trivia

Interesting gourmet coffee facts:

• The Boston Tea Party was planned in a coffee house – the Green Dragon Coffee House
• 27% of U.S. coffee drinkers and 43% of German drinkers add a sweetener to their coffee.
• The world's largest coffee producer is Brazil with over 3,970 million coffee trees. Colombia comes in second with around two thirds of Brazil's production.
• Hard bean means the coffee was grown at an altitude above 5000 feet.
• Arabica and Robusta trees can produce crops for 20 to 30 years under proper conditions and care.
• Most coffee is transported by ships. Currently there are approximately 2,200 ships involved in transporting the beans each year.
• In Turkey a husband who refused to provide his wife with the drink could be divorced by her!
• Germany is the world's second largest consumer of coffee in terms of volume at 16 pounds per person. Second to the United States at 19 pounds per person.
• Over 53 countries grow coffee worldwide, but all of them lie along the equator between the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn.
• An acre of coffee trees can produce up to 10,000 pounds of coffee cherries. That amounts to approximately 2,000 pounds of beans after hulling or milling.
• The percolator was invented in 1827 by a French man. It would boil the coffee producing a bitter tasting brew. Today most people use the drip or filtered method to brew their coffee.
• With the exception of Hawaii and Puerto Rico, no coffee is grown in the United States or its territories.
• Up until the 1870's most coffee was roasted at home in a frying pan over a charcoal fire. It wasn't until recent times that batch roasting became popular.
• Each year some 7 million tons of green beans are produced world wide. Most of which is hand picked.
• The popular trend towards flavored coffees originated in the United States during the 1970's.
• Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee is the most satisfying cup of coffee - it donates all its profits to children.
October 1st is the official Coffee Day in Japan.
• The first coffee tree in the Western Hemisphere was brought from France to the Island of Martinique in the 1720's