Why Kona Coffee Is Different

Why Kona Coffee Is Different

In order to be called “Kona Coffee,” coffee must be grown in a small area on the West Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. The Kona Coffee growing region is only about fifty square miles in all, and is farmed largely by small landowners.

Like much of Hawaii, Kona offers ideal climate conditions for growing coffee. But there is something different about the Kona coffee cherries produced here that has earned this coffee a worldwide reputation for excellence. 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. It could be the dependable cloud cover that rolls in each afternoon, protecting the delicate coffee trees from the glaring afternoon sun.

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. Maybe it is simply the fact that 100% Pure Kona Coffee is rare and sometimes hard to find. The rarest of Kona Coffee beans is Peaberry, making up only four to five percent of the entire Kona crop each year. Peaberry is unusual because each coffee cherry contains only one bean, while all other types of Kona contain two beans per cherry.

There are many things that set Kona Coffee apart from other coffees. One thing is certain, though – unless the bag says 100% Kona Coffee, you are not getting 100% Kona Coffee.