Coffee, Claustrophobia, Cookies, and Costco

Kona is the location on the Big Island, if you enjoy a cup of good coffee.

"Kona coffee is the market name for coffee (Coffea arabica) cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii. It is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Only coffee from the Kona Districts can be described as "Kona." The weather of sunny mornings, clouds or rain in the afternoon, little wind, and mild nights combined with porous, mineral-rich volcanic soil create favorable coffee-growing conditions. The loanword for coffee in the Hawaiian language is kope, pronounced ˈkope."

"The coffee plant was brought to the Kona district in 1828 by Reverend Samuel Ruggles from Brazilian cuttings. English merchant Henry Nicholas Greenwell moved to the area and established Kona Coffee as a recognized brand later in the 19th century. The former Greenwell Store and Kona Coffee Living History Farm have since become museums."

"In other parts of the Hawaiian islands, it was grown on large plantations, but the 1899 world coffee market crash caused plantation owners to lease land to their workers. Most were from Japan, brought to work on sugarcane plantations. They worked their leased parcels of 5–12 acres (2–5 hectares) as family concerns, producing large, quality crops."

"The tradition of family farms continued throughout Kona. The Japanese-origin families have been joined by Filipinos, mainland Americans, and Europeans. There are approximately 800 Kona coffee farms, with an average size of less than 5 acres (2 ha). In 1997, the total Kona coffee area was 2,290 acres (927 ha), and green coffee production was just over two million pounds."

"The Kona Coffee Belt is a recognized terroir located on Hualalai Mountain and Mauna Loa, ranging from 500 to 3200 feet above sea level.[4] It starts from Hawaii Route 190 on Palani Road, with Makalei being its most northern section, includes Koloko, goes through Hawaii Route 180, also called North Kona Road or Kona Heritage Corridor, passes through Holualoa, and merges with Hawaii Route 11 at Kainaliu and extends through Kealakekua and Hōnaunau."

"The area is characterized by average rainfall (60+ inches per year average), slightly acidic, well-drained volcanic soil, mild temperature swings from day to night (85 degrees day, 60 degrees night average), sunny morning and cloudy afternoons, flowering in the dry season, fruiting during the wet season, and wind-protected western slopes."

"Kona coffee blooms in February and March. Small white flowers known as "Kona snow" cover the tree. Green berries appear in April. By late August, red fruit, called "cherry" because it resembles a cherry, starts to ripen for picking. Each tree, hand-picked several times between August and January, provides around 15 pounds of cherry, which results in about two pounds of roasted coffee."

"Within 24 hours of picking, the cherry is run through a pulper. The beans are separated from the pulp and placed overnight in a fermentation tank. The fermentation time is about 12 hours at low elevations or 24 at higher elevations. The beans are rinsed and spread to dry on a hoshidana or drying rack. Traditional hoshidanas have a rolling roof to cover the beans in the rain. It takes seven to 14 days to dry beans to an optimal moisture level of between 10 and 13% (by Hawaii Department of Agriculture regulations: 9.0–12.0%). Too much moisture in coffee allows the growth of ochratoxin A, a harmful mycotoxin hazardous to human health. From here, the beans are stored as "pergamino" or parchment. The parchment is milled off the green bean before roasting or wholesale."

"Kona coffee beans are classified by law according to seed. Type I beans consist of two beans per cherry, flat on one side, oval on the other. Type II beans consist of one round bean per cherry, otherwise known as peaberries. Further grading of these two types of beans depends on size, moisture content, and purity of bean type. Type I Kona coffee grades are 'Kona Extra Fancy,' 'Kona Fancy,' 'Kona Number 1', 'Kona Select,' and 'Kona Prime.' Type II Kona coffee grades are 'Peaberry Number 1' and 'Peaberry Prime.' Also, a lower grade of coffee, called 'Number 3' (or 'Triple X'), can not legally be labeled as "Kona" but as 'Hawaiian' coffee. Any bean grade below Number 3 is considered 'Offgrade' coffee and can only be labeled generic. Not an official classification grade, but commonly used by Kona coffee farmers, is the 'Estate' grade, which consists of various separate grades except for removing the 'Number 3' and 'Offgrade' beans."

Because of the rarity and price of Kona coffee, some retailers sell "Kona Blends." These are not a combination of different Kona coffees but a blend of Kona and Colombian, Brazilian, or other foreign coffees. Usually, they contain only the minimum required 10% Kona coffee and 90% cheaper imported beans.

"Current Hawaiian law requires blends to state only the percentage of Kona coffee on the label but not any other coffee origins. There is no matching Federal law. Some retailers use terms such as 'Kona Roast' or 'Kona Style.' To be considered authentic Kona coffee (without the word "blend" on the label), the state of Hawaii's labeling laws require the prominent display of the words "100% Kona Coffee"."

The first place we stopped was at Royal Kona Coffee.

"Royal Kona Coffee has a rich history dating back to the days before the world knew about Kona Coffee. The dream was to market the little-known bean grown in Kona Hawaii, half-way up an active volcano, to international fame so coffee drinkers of the world could know of its wonderful Aloha flavor."

"It started with a promise to Kona farmers, that we would sell all the Kona Coffee they could grow. One by one, they arrived bearing 100 pound bags of green Kona and smiles as wide as the day is long. When you drink Royal Kona, you are drinking the first, the original Kona Coffee."

"Hawaii (and the rest of the world) was a very different place back in the late ‘60’s – with air travel booming and surf culture gaining popularity, Hawaii was the place to be. Tourism replaced the sugar and pineapple industries as major revenue producers and construction was everywhere. Royal Kona Coffee began roasting premium 100% Kona and Kona Blend coffees back in 1968/69."

"After realizing the potential of marketing Kona Coffee worldwide, in 1968 Superior Coffee acquired a local roaster and established the Royal Kona Coffee brand. With huge investments in quality control, processing and packaging (vacuum packed canned coffee at the time was state of the art), the demand for Kona Coffee soon exploded (much to the delight of Big Island farmers!) and we have been roasting the finest 100% Kona and Kona Blends ever since!"

"After decades establishing Kona Coffee worldwide and becoming the coffee of choice served in Hawaii’s prestigious hotels and restaurants, Royal Kona subsequently became part of Hawaii Coffee Company when it merged with Lion Coffee in 2000. As the largest roaster of Kona Coffee in the world, we are proud to continue serving you a quality cup of Aloha!""

I drink coffee on occasion, but I have my favorites when I do serve coffee to guests. Number one favorite is peaberry!! Even I could tell the difference in the coffees. As we were leaving, two different tour busses came into the parking lot.

We bought some peaberry and the private reserve. It will go so well with the cookies I bought.

If you are claustrophobic, the lava tube is not for you.

Our next stop took us to Kona Joe Coffee. This is a beautiful location. The only objection we had to this place was the tasting. You only had a choice of two coffees that were blends. A cup of peaberry coffee was $15.00 just to do a tasting. Needless to say, we didn't buy anything!

Kona Joe's Story

"Joe Alban is your average Joe. He traveled to Hawaii, fell in love with his wife, met a wild dolphin, and planted a coffee garden. Now he makes the richest, most progressive Kona Coffee on the islands. This is the legendary story of how Joe became Kona Joe:

"Once upon a time a handsome young man walked on the beach alone. He thought of many things, but mostly he thought of how wonderful the beach was and how nice the sound of the surf was to his ears."

"As he thought of many things he wondered what it would be like to live more simply. To live closer to nature and maybe grow a garden. Suddenly he heard a voice from nowhere tell him to just go ahead and follow his heart. Joe looked around quite confused when suddenly a dolphin leaped from a wave and shouted to him."

"He invited Joe to play with him in the waves where they talked of many things. Joe came to see the dolphin every day just before sunset, and they surfed together when no one was around. So Joe stayed on the island and planted coffee."

"One evening, Joe came to the beach to meet his dolphin friend when he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen sitting on a rock as the full moon rose. He knew right there and then that this was the woman to share his dream with."

"Deepa-Tiare is a wonderful artist and paints the most beautiful paintings. She loves to paint growing and living things. Their house is filled with a virtual garden of her paintings.

Together they nurtured their garden and it grew and grew as did their love for each other. Of course they are married now and endeavor to live life happily ever after."

From Deepa:

"For seven years, I was happily married to Joe Alban, an orthopedic surgeon, when one day in 1994, I found myself owning a Kona coffee farm with him. I knew he had been dreaming of owning a coffee farm in the Kona district, but little did I know how completely it would change my life.

Life before the farm had been a leisure: living in a beach house, waking up whenever, painting as a self-taught local Hawaiian artist, and traveling around the world. I guess I never paid attention whether it was a Tuesday or a Friday. Then, overnight, here at our 20-acre farm where the world's first trellis coffee is produced, suddenly every day became a Monday!"

"So there went my late morning beauty sleep... Previously, my husband would awake at 3am to answer calls from the local emergency rooms. Now I awake at 3am to answer calls from east coast buyers who think, if it's 9am in New York it must be 9am at the other end of the telephone. My everyday clothing changed from high heels and designer gowns to denim jeans, t-shirts and mismatched socks. My exercise regimen has also taken a different path on the farm. I was envious of mainland wives with personal fitness trainers, so I found my own farmer’s brand of personal-trainer… four legged trainers: Peaberry, our adorable miniature donkey and Mila, Tiare, and Ikaika, our canine pets. Twenty-four hour fitness no longer requires a membership, now it's just another of my daily duties as I chase our dear pets around the farm!"

"Being in charge of sales, marketing, and overall administration, my day starts with a million things on my to do list: follow up on orders, communicate with stores, work with our twenty-two employees, and constantly put out fires. Most of the time I feel like a truck ran over me at least once before the end of the day. Then the next morning, while enjoying breakfast on the lanai I see our beautiful coffee trees on a gentle slope over-looking the painted Kona Coast, I turn toward my husband, see the twinkle in his eye, and my weariness somehow melts away."

"Amidst all the challenges of owning a business producing one of the world's most precious agricultural commodities, the rewards are great. I simply cannot put a monetary value on the experiences and friendship I continue to cultivate with the people I meet. From the friends who also find themselves in this wonderful predicament, to the thousands who have come to love Kona Coffee, life is short but the coffee is oh so wonderful."

The coffee plants are grown on a trellis.

"At Kona Coffee Joe they grow their coffee on a trellis using the same techniques as the world's best winemakers.

Why? Because sun-ripened fruit is always sweeter!"

You can even roast your own coffee to take home.

Friendly kitties everywhere. That is unless you don't like cats. My two cats would love it here.

We stopped at Costco this morning to get gas. We stopped again on the way back to the resort later in the day. We wanted to see what different items they carried and the difference in prices between here and home.

There is a larger assortment of fresh fish here.

Fresh Wild Whole Black Cod

Fresh Whole Tilapia Farm Raised

Fresh Whole Sea Bream Farm Raised

Prawn hacao, also known as har ggow, are a type of shrimp dumpling found in dim sum cuisine.

Sushi anyone?

Michael orders these. Delicious!! They are also a favorite of my nephew, Kyle.

This is the first time I have seen these nutella biscuits. Our Costco only sells large two pack jars of Nutella.

Ube, also known as purple yam, is a tuberous root vegetable that originated in Souteast Asia. Ube is known for its sweet, nutty, and slightly vanillia-like flavor. It also has a distinct coconut aroma. Ube is a good source of carbohydrates, potassium, and vitamin C. Ube is often confused with taro and purple sweet potato, but ube has a rougher, darker brown skin than tarto and a richer prple flesh than purple sweet potatoes.