Coffee

[Devany]

I have been to a few coffee plantations (all relatively small operations of a few acres) near Hilo, it seems like the trees flourish best when at an elevation of about 1000' and with deep soil. Tom Sharkey even has them as an understory planting under his cacao trees. On my recent walks I have seen some fields planted at slightly higher elevations up near Kaiwiki and the plantings were thriving on a sloped open field. They were loaded with berries. This area also has good deep soil.

I buy local green beans and roast my own coffee (I have a coffee roaster) most of the time. I like a darker roast,and Kona coffees do not hold up to a dark roast, they turn bitter, which is why it is never sold in anything more than a medium roast. Hilo coffee actually is great dark roasted. When I do buy roasted coffee my 2 favorite local coffees are Hilo Shark's medium dark roast and the Hilo Coffee Mill's Italian Roast, which is even dark enough to use for espresso.

I have not tried the Puna or Kau coffees yet, mostly because I am so pleased with the Hilo coffees and they are grown within a few miles of my home. Sounds like it might be time for a field trip! [8D]

Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany

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