Friday, February 1, 2008

Hawaiian Coffee

What Makes Hawaiian Coffee Stand Out

Some people think that Hawaiian coffee is the same as Kona coffee but these two kinds of coffee are actually different from each other. The difference lies in the regions that they are grown. Hawaiian coffee is a term used to loosely describe all the coffee grown in the state of Hawaii where as Kona coffee is the product of the Kona region of the Big Island of Hawaii. Since Hawaii is a volcanic island in the Pacific, it has soil rich in minerals and all the islands enjoy great weather almost all year round. Some of the coffee plants are planted in elevated areas that promote better plant growth due to the cooler weather with almost year round sunshine. There are actually many different kinds and varieties of Hawaiian coffee.

Kona Coffee

Kona coffee is one of the most well known in the world because the beans are grown in high elevation at the slopes of Mauna Loa and Mount Hualalai. The earth here is rich and the temperature is cool. This combination makes for better coffee plants and results in beans with very rich flavor. Although, Hawaiian coffee is a very loose term that does not directly mean Kona coffee, many people think of Hawaiian coffee as something equivalent to Kona coffee. It is the most popular of all the different varieties of Hawaiian coffee.

Kaua'i Coffee

Kauai coffee is another variety of Hawaiian coffee that is specifically grown in the islands. It has a mild acidic taste compared to Kona coffee and some people actually prefer this variety of Hawaiian coffee. It is fast gaining a good reputation as one of the better coffees from Hawaii.

Other notable varieties of Hawaiian coffee are Ka'anapali Maui coffee, Haleakala Maui coffee and Moloka'i coffee. These Hawaiian coffee varieties are not only sold as pure coffee but also come in many different blends. Some are flavored as well and many reach up to the far corners of the world.

Arabica coffee is probably the most sought after coffee beans but where they are planted also play a huge role in making the beans more flavorful and rich. The Hawaiian coffee varieties are among the best in the world. This makes them more expensive than other coffee beans grown on lower elevations. The coffee beans from Hawaii are sometimes blended with other coffee beans to offset the expense from getting the great beans from Hawaii.

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