29.
With the notable exception of the 1,250 ha mechanised Kauai COFFEE COMPANY ESTATE ,
which makes up nearly the entirety of that island’s production and about half of all production in the state, the majority of the farmers on Hawaii’s 800 coffee farms have less than 2 ha of land, which is usually picked by hand.
The first planting of coffee in Hawaii is thought to have been in 1825 on Oahu7, home to Hawaii’s largest city Honolulu and famed Waikiki Beach, in the Manoa Valley with plants acquired from Brazil by that island’s tribal governor. Seedlings or cuttings of the original plants, presumably ‘Bourbon’ variety, were carried to the Big Island by missionary Samuel Ruggles in 1828 to the Hamakua District of Hawaii on its northeastern shore. The Guatemalan ‘Typica’ variety arrived 18928 (renamed ‘Kona Typica’ a century later to avoid consumer confusion) and became a popular favourite on the Big Island, soon after finding its way to Kona, where it has remained in production continuously ever since. Kona is still the undisputed origin brand leader of Hawaii for consumer recognition, perpetuated by historical quality and perhaps aided the psychological impact of enjoying coffee on the balcony of a Hawaiian hotel at sunrise. In recent years, specific estates in Kona, on Maui and the tiny Kau District (south of Kona on the Big Island) have been building a reputation with commercial specialty buyers, as well, for their extraordinary achievement in flavour and quality that measures up to Hawaii’s extreme cost of production. With the notable exception of the 1,250 ha mechanised Kauai Coffee Company estate, which makes up nearly the entirety of that island’s production and about half of all production in the state, the majority of the
28-29.indd 29
farmers on Hawaii’s 800 coffee farms have less than 2 ha of land, which is usually picked by hand. Two thirds of those farms are located on the Big Island. Variations in microclimate, soil, geography, varietal, cultivation, harvesting and processing practices in each of Hawaii’s growing regions contribute to a wide array of flavours, from the tiny annual harvest of only about 76,000 45.45 kg (100 lb) bags produced by the entire state on 3,237 ha (8,000 acres) of planted land10. For purpose of illustrating the size of Hawaii’s total coffee production, this is approximately the same area of two large farms in Brazil – a producing country with over 220,000 coffee farms. Hawaii is a very small origin. In the attempt to maximise earnings while operating on small plots of land in the U.S.’s most expensive state11, many of those farms have become vertically integrated and sell roasted coffee only to retail consumers – mostly tourists. Sadly, despite the good intentions and extreme devotion of these farmers, more time and thought is sometimes devoted to the design of package labels than to the development and execution of roast profiles, leading to inconsistent cup character from farm-to-farm and day-by-day. Like visiting any coffee growing origin, it’s not always easy to find a good cup of coffee on your trip to Hawaii.
21/7/13 6:57:56 PM