From the time when Missionaries first introduced coffee trees to Hawaii in 1827, coffee has flourished and became a major mainstay product in the Islands.
Sugar is sweet but Coffee is King on the Islands.
Hawaiians grin more than most. Why? Could it be they have a secret? Could it be the island coffee? Possibly, the secret is the excellent coffee on the islands.
Actually, most are well on to Hawaiian coffee’s mystique. It’s hard to live without coffee grown in Hawaii once you’re hooked on it. Some never leave the islands without a bag or two tucked in their luggage. The aroma, when it escapes from the bag, is as much the scent of the islands as the salty smell of the ocean or the sweet fragrance of ginger. Coffee is a good take-home choice. It stuffs easily into over-stuffed bags, doesn’t break or spill, and will pass the mandatory agriculture check at Hawaii airports.
A relative of the gardenia, coffee has fragrant white blossoms in the spring. In the summer, the trees have green berries, which turn red as they ripen. The berries don’t all ripen at once, so they must be picked by hand several times a season. The harvesting season begins in August.
Coffee farmers at the lowest elevations may finish harvesting by December, while those at the 2000-foot level might harvest into March. Farmers need to roast and taste their coffee through out the crop, to taste the different grades, separate the faded from the average green from the opal green.
During the coffee seasons, buyers hang out signs announcing how much they’ll pay for ‘cherries,’ the name given to the red coffee berries. In a good year, they may offer as much as a dollar a pound.
The Island's conditions are perfect for growing coffee. Many farms have succeeded, especially in Kona, where 600 small, independent farms flourish on volcanic slopes in a climate of sun-drenched mornings and misty afternoons. Gourmet coffee grows in other parts of Hawaii as well, with 3,400 acres in cultivation, Kauai Coffee Co. is one of Hawaii’s largest coffee plantations.
A Vacation in Every Cup
Long for a jolt of java?
No matter where you are you can enjoy Hawaiian coffee. Many companies such as www.CoffeeSpecialties.com ship Hawaiian coffee all over the world. They work with the best growers and roasters on the islands and offer a fine selection of premium Hawaiian coffee shipped fresh to your door.
Arrange a tour of Coffees of Hawaii. Walking tours are offered here; you’ll be led around the 500-acre coffee plantation to witness the roasting process “from seed to cup.” The tour wraps up in the tasting room, where an espresso bar churns out samples. Reservations required. Closed weekends.- 160 Farrington Highway, Kualapuu; 800-346-5051, fax 808-567-9270; www.molokaicoffee.com.
