Kona Coffee History

Kona coffee can be traced back to around 1825 when John Wilkinson brought a few seedlings to Oahu from Brazil, and in 1828 missionary Rev. Samuel Ruggles en route to Kona carried a few young trees to his new home in West Hawaii to plant as ornamentals. They prospered in the hospitable climate and today’s coffee industry was born.

Kona, along the western slopes of Mauna Loa, has ideal climatic conditions. Between 700 and 2500 feet above the Pacific Ocean, the rich, well drained volcanic soil combines with mild breezes and gentle rains, moderate temperatures and cool nights which protect the trees from the northeast trade winds. Too much sun weakens coffee trees where they are unable to resist disease. Too little sun prevents full maturation of the beans. The Kona Coast provides a combination of elements such as weather, soil, shelter and elevation on the mountainside. Thus, Kona’s highly revered coffee’s aroma is full, sweet and mellow which sends the olfactory buds jumping with excitement.

For centuries Kona has been revered by the elite and quality seekers of quintessential coffees. The Kona Coffee growing district is only about 2 miles wide by 20 miles long, a relatively small area where conditions are ideal for producing the special refined taste of Kona.  Compared to other types of world coffees, this relatively small annual harvest only serves to increase the demand for coffees from Kona. There isn’t enough coffee to do a mass marketing, and costs in the USA vs. third world coffee producing countries is much higher, so Kona has to be placed into the high end gourmet specialty markets.

Excerpts from: Los Angeles Daily News, April 8, 2002