Hawaiian Kona Coffee
Know the Different Varieties
Hawaiian and Kona coffee can be hard to figure out. Identifying real Kona coffee at a glance isn't easy. But when you taste the real thing, you’ll know it. If you love coffee, you already know that there's a big difference between a great cup and a mediocre cup. Let me explain how to tell when it comes to Hawaiian varieties.
The Big Island is not the only place in Hawaii that produces coffee. But it is the only place that grows Kona Coffee. There is a big difference between Kona Coffee and other Hawaiian beans.
Kona coffee is the only Hawaiian coffee that is grown under the ideal mountain conditions of the Big Island, which produces the superior coffee beans that have made Kona Coffee world famous. Sure you can buy other kinds of Hawaiian coffee - Brands that have exotic names and fancy packaging to compensate for the inferior quality of the beans they contain. But, if you ask me, when it comes to buying coffee from Hawaii, Kona coffee is the way to go.
But what what makes Kona coffee so special you ask? Hawaiian Kona coffee is grown on the Big Island slopes of Mauna Loa and Hualalai - a unique area that's only about 20 miles across and is naturally suited to growing great coffee. Coffee beans thrive in the lush climate and rich soil of these mountain slopes.
Not only are the natural conditions on the Big Island ideal for growing Hawaiian Kona coffee, but the care and precision of the Kona coffee farmers is second to none. From small private farms to larger plantations, the production of Kona coffee is an art. Much of the coffee grown on other islands is grown at lower elevations than the Big Island's rich growing areas. These lower elevations are far from ideal for coffee growth, so these inferior beans tend to be treated in ways that force them to ripen. They are irrigated artificially and are often harvested by machine. Needless to say, the beans produced by these methods are quite unlike the beans produced by the slow and careful methods of the nearly 200 year old coffee tradition of the Kona coast.
Don't be fooled... Now you know that not all coffee labeled 'Hawaiian' is actually Kona Coffee.
So, will it be Hawaiian or Kona coffee? The choice is clear. Only Kona coffee will give you the rich flavor that is sought after around the world. If you appreciate a good cup of coffee and you're looking for the Hawaiian coffee experience, make sure you get the real thing.
To learn more about what makes Kona coffee so special visit our Main Hawaiian Kona Coffee Page where you'll find more information and links that will tell you how to identify 100% Pure Kona Coffee and Estate Kona Coffee and how to distinguish these from blended Kona coffees.
