The US mainland receives numerous farm exports from the islands of Hawaii. In 2008, Hawaii cattle exports topped the charts, followed by nursery exports, then sugar/molasses and finally seed exports. A lesser-known export from Hawaii includes coffee, more specifically, Kona coffee. In fact, Hawaii is the only US state that produces the most coffee.
According to the USDA, Hawaii coffee production for the 2009-2010 season is estimated at 8.00 million pounds (parchment basis). It is also reported that this estimated amount is down 8% from the previous year due to dry weather in Kona, insect damage and volcanic smoke.
Kona is located on the Big Island of Hawaii in the famous Kona Coffee Belt. The Big Island offers the most acreage of coffee farming although there is also acreage on other islands such as Kauai, Oahu and Maui. There are approximately 600 coffee farms on the Big Island. Most of the Kona production is prime or better. It is mainly cultivated and harvested by hand and the belt offers superior growing conditions for the beans.
Hawaii's coffee industry has actually been in existence since the 1800's. According to the Hawaii Coffee Association, coffee trees arrived in Hawaii in the early 1800s on a British warship. The trees originally came from Brazil. The industry has experienced ups and downs due to insects and economics, but in the last 10 years, it has really expanded. There are numerous farms that have become tourist attractions with tours of the plantations and operations to learn coffee how coffee is grown and prepared, from seed to cup.
The growing and cultivating of Kona coffee starts with the growing phase. The Kona coffee plant will begin to produce small white flowers usually in January. Those flowers will become coffee berries that start out green and then transform to red cherries in the fall. The red cherries are then harvested, or picked. The coffee pulper takes the husks off so there is only the pulp, which is stored for fermentation and then dried. There is a grading phase whereby the parchment is removed and then the coffee is sorted by size and density. Finally, the coffee is roasted and ready to be packaged!
Coffee from Hawaii is becoming more and more common but more often than not, coffee sold with Hawaiian beans are merely blends. Some blends only contain 10% Hawaiian beans. Consumers must read the labels to determine the percentage of Hawaiian vs. other coffee beans. There are coffees with 100% Hawaiian coffee, or more specifically Kona coffee that may be a bit more expensive.
Coffee, including coffee from Hawaii, is believed to have some health benefits. Coffee is a great source of antioxidants which prevents or slows oxidative damage to our bodies. Coffee drinkers also have a lowered risk of developing certain illnesses such as diabetes or Parkinson's. Coffee can also stimulate the brain & nervous system while also providing relief from headaches.
