Flavor of Maui

History of Kona Coffee

Don Francisco de Paula Marin recorded in his journal in 1813 that he had planted coffee on Oahu. That planting eventually failed, but in 1825 Chief Boki, Governor of Oahu, brought coffee to Hawaii aboard the British warship H.M.S. Blonde. This ship was returning to Hawaii the bodies of King Kamehameha II and Queen Kamamalu, who had died in London from measles during a state visit. Chief Boki, in charge of the funeral party, had acquired coffee plants in Rio de Janeiro during the long voyage.

The coffee was planted in Manoa Valley on Oahu, and eventually from this small field trees were introduced to other areas of Oahu as well as to neighbor islands. In 1828, Reverend Samuel Ruggles planted coffee trees from Manoa in the Naole area (now Captain Cook) above Kealakekua Bay on the Kona Coast. The plants thrived in this environment due to the elevation, rich soil, and consistent cloud cover. Acreage increased, and an entire culture rose around the farming of Kona Coffee which was quickly earning a superior reputation far beyond the islands.

At that time, however, Hawaii’s “export” economy consisted primarily of provisioning whaling and trading ships that visited Hawaii, and coffee had a ready market with the mariners.

In the 1860’s the whaling industry collapsed, destroying the primary market for Hawaiian coffee. In the 1870’s sugar became Hawaii’s major crop as a result of the growing market on the west coast, and a Reciprocity Treaty between the Kingdom of Hawaii and the United States of America.

Late in the 19th century interest and investment in coffee revived. Land opened in Kona, and there were efforts to establish coffee plantations. The economics of coffee defeated theses efforts, and the plantations were replaced by small farms operated by former sugar plantation laborers who wanted to farm on their own. (1)

Fluctuations of world coffee markets and prices during the 20th century, as well as local environmental and social factors, evolved the industry in to a structure of small privately owned farms. The average farm of the day was less than 5 - acres in size.

Through this period, however, much work was done by the Hawaii Agricultural Extension Service to improve coffee, so Kona not only maintained, but added to its reputation of being one of the world’s greatest coffees.

During the 1930’s in particular. Hawaii earned the reputation of being a world leader in improving cultivation methods. With all such improvements, Kona coffee is still carefully grown and hand picked in limited quantities.