Introduction to Coffee

Coffee, the most commonly consumed beverage, is the morning ‘wake up call’ most of us cannot do without. Originating from Ethiopia, coffee today is one of the most famous beverages around the world. From your favorite grocery stores to local estate cafes to high-end restaurants, people from all walks of life never seem to get tired of its intoxicating aroma and the unique blend of flavours produced by this beverage. Apart from drinking it, coffee is also used as a flavoring for desserts, meat and fowl dishes. Flavorful as they are, coffee serves to compliment the distinct flavours of these foods.

Types of coffee beans

Coffee beans can be categorized into two categories, mainly Arabica and Robusta. Arabica coffee beans have a distinct oval shape and are usually pale or green in colour. Found at your local roaster or retailer, Arabica coffee beans are of premium quality.

The Kona Coffee Company is producers of one of the finest Arabica coffee beans in the world. Cultivated in the big islands of Hawaii in the North and South Kona districts, the climate conditions are highly favourable for Arabica coffee trees to thrive. Hand picked meticulously by six hundred farmers and carefully processed to perfection; Kona Coffee is the best coffee one could ever enjoy.

On the contrary, Robusta coffee beans are commonly found on the shelves of grocery stores and supermarkets. Trees producing Robusta coffee beans require high soil humus content and low altitudes in order to thrive. These species of coffee trees produce beans that are usually round and brown in colour and are not climate sensitive as they are able to withstand high temperatures and heavy rain falls. They are also more resilient to diseases as compared to Arabica coffee trees.

Coffee processing

The coffee processing process is divided into three different methods mainly, wet processing, dry processing and semi dry processing. In dry processing, the cherries are harvested and left to dry in the sun for approximately two weeks before removing the outer layers, the parchment and the pulp, of the bean.

Kona Coffee adopts a special wet processing method in which coffee beans are hand picked and soaked in water to determine the good beans from the bad. Cherries that are unripe or have gone bad will float while good coffee beans will sink. The outer layers of the cherry is removed by a process called fermenting and what is left is the green bean, which is left to dry in the sun. These green beans are sold to various roasters to produce a unique coffee that is catered to the different taste and preferences of coffee drinkers.

Likewise, the semi-dry processing removes the skin and the pulp of the bean similar to that of the wet processing. However, the bean is left out to dry in the sun and not fermented.