What is Kona Coffee?
100% Kona Coffee is unlike any other coffee. Known for its floral, citrus-y, and nutty flavors, it is one of the most expensive and rarest coffee beans in the whole world, for good reason. Read on to learn more about this special coffee and why we love it so much!
Five Facts You Should Know About Kona Coffee
1. All of the world’s renowned Kona Coffee is grown on only 30 miles of land.
Kona Coffee is exclusively grown on Kona’s coffee belt in Big Island, Hawaii, which is only about 30 miles long and 2-3 miles wide. Only coffee grown in this small region can be considered 100% Kona coffee. Because production is limited by land, the yearly harvest is very scarce. Therefore, Kona coffee is one of the rarest in the world, comprising of only 1% of the world’s coffee!
2. Kona coffee is grown on the side of the biggest, active volcano in the world!
The coffee belt is located on Hualalai Mountain and Mauna Loa. The area experiences frequent rainfall, and mild temperature with sunny mornings and cloudy afternoons, which creates a varied microclimate perfect for growing coffee. Its slightly acidic volcanic soil is also well-drained, which helps create healthy coffee plants from sitting in water.
3. Kona coffee supports a fair labor economy.
Since coffee production is usually outsourced to Africa and Latin America, wage standards in the coffee industry are pretty low. However, being in the States, a coffee farmer in Hawaii gets paid a lot more than a coffee farmer in Ethiopia or Guatemala. Typically, a coffee farmer in Kona can earn about 40-60% of the coffee production profit, compared to other coffee producers in the world, who usually earn as low as 5% for commercial coffee and 15% for specialty coffee. The added cost of labor, along with the harvesting and shipment costs associated with farming on a volcano, are some of the main reasons why Kona coffee is so expensive, relative to other coffee.
Note: Kona Coffee is a good reminder that we should properly support coffee farmers, who are the most crucial part of each coffee we enjoy :)
4. Kona blends are not 100% Kona coffee.
Kona blends are typically 10% Kona coffee, and 90% split among beans from other countries (i.e. Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala), which makes it harder to isolate the nuanced flavors of Kona coffee. Kona blends were created to be more accessible and affordable, since 100% Kona coffee is more premium in price. If you want a true taste of Kona coffee, 100% Kona coffee is the way to go.
Note: Coffee beans may state that they’re Kona roast, or Kona style - which most likely contains 0% Kona coffee. Be a smart consumer, and know what you’re purchasing!
5. The Kona Peaberry is one of the most rare and expensive coffee beans in the world!
Typically, there are two coffee beans to a fruit, but a peaberry coffee bean can happen when only one bean fertilizes and grows into the whole fruit. This single seed is a larger, rounder bean that needs a different roasting process than normal coffee beans. It is known to have higher bean density, which carries more heat, and can roast more evenly due to its rounded shape. Around 5% of harvested coffee beans experience this peculiarity, and tend to taste more acidic, brighter in flavor, and lighter in body.
Conclusion
Here at Kona Coffee & Company, we source our beans directly from Kona (Big Island, Hawaii), and closely work with our farmers to ensure quality and consistency. Everything is grown and harvested in Hawaii, and then freshly roasted in NYC at our shop for the best flavors :) Our coffee offerings include a Kona blend, and 100% Kona Coffee (Peaberry and Ma’o).
We hope that you’ve learned a bit more about Kona coffee, and join us in our appreciation for this special coffee! If you’re interested in purchasing 100% Kona coffee, visit here or try our pour-overs in store.