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.

Bali - Coffee on Island of the Gods

Hopefully with a peaceful election campaign behind us, Bali will again see tourists returning in numbers. Since October 2002 the island has seen a marked downturn in the number of foreign tourists arriving to enjoy the scenic, cultural and religious diversity found here. Many Indonesians refer to this slice of paradise as "Pulau Dewa" or "Island of the gods". Bali is known by many names to those who have visited the island.

The growing conditions in Bali are ideal for coffee trees, and small-scale production quickly spread in the cooler, higher altitude areas of the Island. The Robusta in Bali most likely came via traders from Ampenan in Lombok. By this time the big plantations in Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi were already well established. Commercial Colonial plantations never made an impact in Bali because the Dutch did not get any degree of control over the island until the 1900's. The origins of Robusta here can be traced back to the beginning of the 20th century or earlier. This is the coffee that many tourists visiting the island experience and love. Traditionally Balinese coffee was of the robusta variety. Our visit to Bali in March was not a holiday, but rather a visit to look at the cooperative growing system for Arabica found in the highland areas of central Bali.

Our visit was to examine the drying and processing facilities for this mountain grown Bali Arabica. Some of these plantings are in commercial plantations, however the bulk are beans grown by small-holders in a number of villages saddling the volcanic peaks. In recent times, with Robusta prices falling, Arabica has been planted in several areas of the Island.

After drying and Prior to drying the cooperative removes poor quality cherries- usually berries that are not ripe, have evidence of surface fungal diseases or berries that have been damaged by birds or other pests. The coffee is raked regularly to ensure the drying proceeds at a constant pace. This involves laying the fruit out under the sun in large, flat concrete drying pens. The small holders almost universally follow the dry method of processing the beans. Most coop growers are uncertified organic- the costs of pesticides against the price for the finished bean do not make sense. In Bali the yields from the trees in raw cherries is very good. In most cases the growers are more than happy to listen to ideas on how to improve the finished quality of their product. Our concern is always to look for a way in which to help these small growers to improve their picking, drying and sorting processes in order for them to be able to market their coffee to the specialty coffee market outside of Indonesia. As in the rest of the coffee world, the small-holders make up the bulk of the growers, but receive little real financial reward for their efforts.

A very mellow, slightly honey-dew taste…..We are looking forward to later in the year when we will be in Bali for the harvest of the bulk of the 2004 crop. Test roasting resulted in us deciding that the dry-processed bean had some characteristics reminiscent of the lower altitude Java Arabica beans. The colours and firmness of the bean are good, as was the general quality. We like the early season greens that we saw in the highlands of Bali.

Short History of Coffee

Who would have thought that a berry that was discovered by a herd of goats would be the single most important ingredient in the world’s most popular drink? Legend has it that back in 850AD, a goat herder noticed his herd was full of energy and eating berries he had never noticed. Since the goats seemed to have such a reaction, the herder decided to give it a try! The berries also gave him a burst of energy and he began to feel very happy. Thus, the beginning of the journey for what is now known as coffee!

Actually, the story of the goat herder isn’t the only legend surrounding this discovery. It is also said that an Arabian man was banished to the deserts with his followers to die of starvation. His men became very desperate for nourishment and before long, they were boiling and eating the product of an unknown tree. The broth that was produced by this unknown substance saved the lives of the men! In the nearest town, Mocha, many took their survival to be a religious sign. Because of the discovery, the drink was then named Mocha.

No matter which story you gravitate to, the bottom line is the same: the berries (actually, the seed of the berry) gave energy and zest to all that would consume it! From it’s earliest beginnings, coffee was thought of as a delicacy and any recipes floating around were considered to be a closely guarded secret!

As time passed, the very first coffee trees were harvested around 1100, in the Arabian Peninsula. The coffee drink became a staple of many early civilizations. In the year 1453, There was a law in Turkey that said that a woman could divorce her husband if he didn’t supply her with a daily supply of coffee!

The very first known coffee shop was established in Constantinople around the year of 1475 and since that initial introduction to the general public, coffee has pretty much taken over the world! Between 1600-1700, there were many advancements, including the world’s first coffee house and the beginnings of commercial production (made by the Dutch). By the middle 1700’s, there were about 2000 coffee shops in Venice, alone!

The first prototype of an espresso machine (made in Italy) was unveiled in the early 1800’s. In the early 1900’s, the first drip coffee makers were invented, making the coffee making process a little less daunting! Automatic espresso machines began their journey in the 1930’s.

By the late 1900’s, coffee became the most popular beverage in the world! The coffee is harvested in many countries, including: Africa, Ethiopia, Brazil, North America, Italy and even Turkey. This kind of crop can also be easily grown and exported by many third world countries, as well. Made to tempt even the pickiest palate, coffee has evolved to include hundreds of flavors and varying grades and prices.

C V is a freelance writer, providing articles and information on all types

of coffee products from coffee

coffee

gift baskets, espresso

espresso

coffee the story

These are basic information about coffee. Coffee drinkers know how to drink a cup of coffee but how many of those know the details of coffee, sources or the formulations of each cup. Coffee strains These are Arabica and Robusta. There are more than 6000 strains of coffees in the world but only 2 strains of coffees that used in the marketing. The science name of coffee is ‘Coffea’. 1. Arabica has 44 chromosomes. The products of each garden are about 240 to 480 kilogram. The Arabica will have flowers after rainy season and the duration of Arabica to produce the fruits is about 6 to 9 months. The character of Arabica products is flat shape fruits with acidity taste. Each fruit has caffeine from 0.8 to 1.4 percentages. The suitable temperature for plant the Arabica is 15 to 25 Celsius. 2. Robusta has fewer chromosomes than Arabica, it has only 22 chromosomes. The fruits of Robusta are egg-shapes. The Robusta will have flowers in every season and take time from 8 to 11 months to produce the fruits. The products of each garden are about 360 to 480 kilogram. And contain caffeine inside the fruits about 1.7 to 4.0 percentages. Sources of Coffee Many countries produce nice quality of coffees to the world markets. Coffee drinkers ought to have a special taste of coffees from the popular sources such as Columbia , Brazil , Costa Rica , Mexico , Guatemala or Jamaica. Columbia is a source of Arabica strain. The temperature and soil in Columbia can produce high quality of coffees. The renowned coffees are Medillin, Bogota and Suremo. Brazil has coffee trees more than 4000 millions and it is a biggest source of coffee in the world. The popular brand of coffee from Brazil is Brazilian Sandos. Costa Rica is one of high quality source of Arabica. If you go to visit Costa Rica , try to ask for the coffees named Tarrazu and Tres Rios. Guatemala , the Atitlan mountain of Guatemala is the source of Arabica. The renowned coffees are Antigua and Coban.
Mexico , the prominent of coffee from Mexico is organic coffees. The good taste of coffee in Mexico is Veracruz .
Jamaica The brands of Blue Mountain in Japan are High Mountain Supreme and Prime Washed Lamaican. The Blue Mountain is the best strain of Arabica and about 90 percentages of Blue Mountain export to Japan . , the renowned coffee from Jamaica is Blue Mountain .

These are basic information about coffee. Coffee drinkers know how to drink a cup of coffee but how many of those know the details of coffee, sources or the formulations of each cup.Coffee strainsThese are Arabica and Robusta. There are more than 6000 strains of coffees in the world but only 2 strains of coffees that used in the marketing. The science name of coffee is ‘Coffea’. 1. Arabica 2. Robusta Sources of Coffee Columbia Brazil Costa Rica Guatemala
Mexico
Jamaica The brands of Blue Mountain in Japan are High Mountain Supreme and Prime Washed Lamaican. The brands of Blue Mountain export to Japan . The brands of Blue Mountain export to Japan . The brands of Blue Mountain export to Japan . The Blue Mountain is the best strain of Arabica and about 90 percentages of Blue Mountain export to Japan . , the renowned coffee from Jamaica is Blue Mountain .

the history of coffee

Thus, the beginning of the journey for what is now known as coffee! The berries also gave him a burst of energy and he began to feel very happy. Since the goats seemed to have such a reaction, the herder decided to give it a try! The berries also gave him a burst of energy and eating berries he had never noticed. Since the goats seemed to have such a reaction, the herder decided to give it a try! Legend has it that back in 850AD, a goat herder noticed his herd was full of energy and eating berries he had never noticed. Who would have thought that a berry that was discovered by a herd of goats would be the single most important ingredient in the world’s most popular drink? Because of the discovery, the drink was then named Mocha. In the nearest town, Mocha, many took their survival to be a religious sign. The broth that was produced by this unknown substance saved the lives of the men! His men became very desperate for nourishment and before long, they were boiling and eating the product of an unknown tree. It is also said that an Arabian man was banished to the deserts with his followers to die of starvation. Actually, the story of the goat herder isn’t the only legend surrounding this discovery. From its earliest beginnings, coffee was thought of as a delicacy and any recipes floating around were considered to be a closely guarded secret! No matter which story you gravitate to, the bottom line is the same: the berries (actually, the seed of the berry) gave energy and zest to all that would consume it! As time passed, the very first coffee trees were harvested around 1100, in the Arabian Peninsula. The coffee drink became a staple of many early civilizations. In the year 1453, There was a law in Turkey that said that a woman could divorce her husband if he didn’t supply her with a daily supply of coffee! The very first known coffee shop was established in Constantinople around the year of 1475 and since that initial introduction to the general public, coffee has pretty much taken over the world! Between 1600-1700, there were many advancements, including the world’s first coffee house and the beginnings of commercial production (made by the Dutch). By the middle 1700’s, there were about 2000 coffee shops in Venice, alone! The first prototype of an espresso machine (made in Italy) was unveiled in the early 1800’s. In the early 1900’s, the first drip coffee machine was invented, making the coffee making process a little less daunting! The automatic espresso maker began its journey in the 1930’s. By the late 1900’s, coffee became the most popular beverage in the world! The coffee is harvested in many countries, including: Africa, Ethiopia, Brazil, North America, Italy and even Turkey. This kind of crop can also be easily grown and exported by many third world countries, as well. Made to tempt even the pickiest palate, coffee has evolved to include hundreds of flavors and varying grades and prices.

Thus, the beginning of the journey for what is now known as coffee! Legend has it that back in 850AD, a goat herder noticed his herd was full of energy and he began to feel very happy. Who would have thought that a berry that was discovered by a herd of goats would be the single most important ingredient in the world’s most popular drink?Because of the discovery, the drink was then named Mocha. In the nearest town, Mocha, many took their survival to be a religious sign. The broth that was produced by this unknown substance saved the lives of the men! His men became very desperate for nourishment and before long, they were boiling and eating the product of an unknown tree. It is also said that an Arabian man was banished to the deserts with his followers to die of starvation. Actually, the story of the goat herder isn’t the only legend surrounding this discovery.From its earliest beginnings, coffee was thought of as a delicacy and any recipes floating around were considered to be a closely guarded secret! No matter which story you gravitate to, the bottom line is the same: the berries (actually, the seed of the berry) gave energy and zest to all that would consume it!

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