Kona coffee has been growing here for nearly 200 years. Many farms offer wonderful, interesting tours, giving in-depth looks into growing Kona’s famous coffee. Here are just a few things you might want to know.
Growing
Kona coffee farms fill the landscape, sometimes as far as the eye can see. Each tree branch will produce blooms from late winter to early spring. These sweet-smelling fragile white blossoms only last for a few days. Imagine a Kona coffee farm covered in white blossoms, we call it “Kona Snow.”
Harvesting
Harvesting begins in the early fall through late winter. Kona coffee is picked by hand and a picker needs a sharp eye and nimble fingers to only pluck ripe cherry from the branch. An experienced picker can pick 200 to 400 pounds each day.
Each day the coffee harvest begins its processing, including removing the red outer skin from the beans, fermenting, and finally drying.
Traditional drying of Kona coffee is done on a Hoshidana, a covered roof platform. The beans are evenly laid out on the Hoshidana. Each morning, the roof is pushed back letting the coffee dry in the hot Kona sun. A unique wooden rake is used many times during the day to stir the drying coffee beans. Before the expected afternoon rain, the platform roof is pushed back. This is repeated for several days until the coffee beans are dry.
Roasting
It has taken some time to get here but this is the final stage before Kona’s famous coffee is poured into your cup. Roasting is part science part skill, leaving enough room for each roaster’s preferred signature roast.
Enjoying
Kona coffee is roasted to either Light, Medium, or Dark, the choice is yours. When visiting the many Kona coffee farms, be sure to taste their signature roasts. Cheers!
