Quality Kona Coffee Recipes - Read and Taste

100% Pure Kona Coffee

Gourmet coffee lovers have a lot to choose from, but “100% pure Kona coffee” is a one of a kind experience that is unequaled by any other coffee. Kona coffee is singular - it only comes from one place, the Kona coast of Hawaii. Kona coffee is grown on the slopes of Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa, giving this premium Arabica coffee bean an ideal altitude.

Hawaii is renowned throughout the world for its lush beauty, diversity of plant and animal life, and idyllic climate. The weather of this group of islands is arguably the most favorable in the world for both humans and coffee beans. The coffee that grows in the Kona region is pampered by morning sunshine, rain in the afternoon and mild evening temperatures.

Coffee was not grown in Hawaii until the 19th Century, when it was brought from Brazil by a British warship. Coffee trees were brought to Kona, on Hawaii’s Big Island in 1828 by a man named Reverend Samuel Ruggles. Later, coffee was cultivated on all the major islands. Coffee beans are extremely sensitive to small differences in climate, elevation and methods of cultivation. So even in a near perfect environment like the Hawaiian islands, there are significant differences between different crops. Most of the coffee grown in this region does not measure up to the standards of 100% pure Kona.

In 1997 the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture began a system of certifying all Hawaiian coffees by island of origin and grade, to prevent confusion and fraud. Much of the coffee from Hawaii today is grown by large corporations in low-elevation regions, making it far inferior to Kona.

Another problem is that many retailers sell Kona blends, which are a mixture of Kona with less expensive coffee beans from South America or elsewhere. These blends usually only contain 10% Kona coffee. Hawaiian law mandates that the percentage of any blend be printed on the label. So when you buy Hawaiian coffee, it’s a good idea to read the label carefully!

There are several grades of Kona coffee, ranging from medium roasts such as Emporium-Prime, Kona Grove, Fancy and Extra Fancy, which have a sweet, milder flavor to the more rare dark roast Peaberry, with its heavy, robust flavor. All genuine 100% pure Kona coffee, however, results in a unique and memorable cup of coffee.

Origin: South Kona growing district, “Big Island” of Hawaii

Notes: Extra Fancy is the term for the highest grade of “Kona coffee” based primarily on largest bean size.

Blind Assessment: A simple but sweet, deeply resonant coffee with a big, smooth body and chocolate-toned fruit notes that read as a round, banana-inclined milk chocolate in the aroma. In the cup the chocolate turns toward cocoa and the fruit toward a gently tart, cherryish coffee fruit. Rich, straightforward finish with a very slight hint of astringency.

Who should drink it: Those who enjoy the easy-going style of Kona cup should like this one.

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