The
trees at Country Samurai are grown tall and big, the old-fashioned
way, requiring the use of six to seven foot ladders during harvesting
to reach the higher branches towering over fifteen feet tall.
This
was the norm in the '50's and '60's. Big mature trees produce better
tasting coffee. The
entire Kona coffee industry has since shifted to raising smaller and
shorter trees so that they could be conveniently harvested from the
ground.
Currently, annual production
in Kona is about two million pounds of "green" beans coming
from about 2,000 acres compared to 22 million pounds of green coming
from about 6,000 acres in the '50's and '60's.
Rich coffee beans
from mature trees.
Farmers around the Country raising apples, oranges, pecans, apricots
or any other food bearing trees will tell you that older and more
mature trees produce richer and better tasting products. Even the
older grape vines produces wines of higher quality. Maple syrup processors
will say the same about syrup coming from older and bigger trees.
The maple sap from the bigger and older trees are more rich than those
coming from younger trees. Just think, in coffee the bigger trees
have a bigger and more developed root system to feed with. Further,
the more mature the branches, the more it focuses on feeding the coffee
cherries.
Caring for the plants
and the soil.
On another point, Samurai coffee is not subjected to herbicides
such as Round-Up. Instead the weed-whacking method of weed control
is used while also enriching the soil. In fact, weeds are viewed as
allies. In sunny or rainy days as well, weeds capture nutrition from
the sun's rays and raindrops, and as weeds are shredded each time
they are converted to food for the coffee trees. Mulch builds humus
and adds organic material to the soil. Round-Up on the other hand,
"kills" the soil upon repeated use and since it is a systemic
spray, it enters the coffee trees via its roots, thus affecting the
flavor of coffee negatively.
In addition, Samurai
tries to continually build the soil through mulching with woodchips,
macadamia nut shells, coffee skin and other organic material available.
This old- fashioned care provides for healthier, taller and more mature
trees.
We
believe our philosophy and field practices have contributed to the
award winning coffee at Samurai.
~ Walter
Kunitake
Owner, Country Samurai Coffee Co.
Coffee's
journey:
from the fields to your cup
Harvesting
Coffee blossoms occur between December through May of each year depending
on the rainfall pattern. Coffee flower in full-bloom is referred to
as "Kona snow" because the trees are covered white. You
should smell the fragrance then.
Harvest
then generally begins in July and ends in January. Kona coffee is
hand-picked for ripe, quality beans only. Although outside laborers
are hired, a substantial percentage of the Samurai coffee are harvested
by members of the family ranging from an eight-year-old fourth generation
to an 88 year-old second generation member.
Pulping
Country Samurai pulps the red hand-picked cherries with a cast iron
drum acquired in 1953. This "mellowed" drum separates the
beans from the red skin flawlessly not damaging the beans in this
process. Cracked and chipped beans affect the flavor of the coffee
negatively.
Washing
The beans are then soaked in their own juice for about 12 hours for
fermentation to break down the slimy mucilage covering the fresh wet
beans. After fermentation the beans are then washed and rinsed to
make for easy drying. Proper fermentation also adds to a fuller-bodied
flavor to the beans, but over-fermentation may cause the beans to
sour.
Sun-Drying
The washed beans are then sun dried by Country Samurai until the moisture
level is between 9-12 percent, the range set by the State Department
of Agriculture in Hawaii. Sun drying also enhances the flavor of the
beans. The ultraviolet rays of the sun rid the coffee of any unwanted
bacteria, while machine dried fails to achieve the same result. When
the beans are dried, they are called parchment.
Storing Parchment
The dried beans are then stored in a cool dry storeroom. A dehumidifier
is used by Country Samurai to regulate the moisture level. Storing
under-dried or over-dried beans affect the flavor of the beans unfavorably.
Storing parchment properly, on the other hand, ages the beans similar
to that of aging wine. The coffee taste becomes more smooth with aging.
Green Beans
When parchment is hulled (dried skin taken off), the beans are called
"green". Samurai hulls parchment only when more green beans
are needed for roasting. Storing green beans for extended periods
tend to lose flavor since the green beans are more exposed to the
elements. In the parchment form, the beans are protected with a layer
of hull plus another covering called the silverskin. Both are removed
during the process of hulling.
Grading
After hulling, the green beans are then graded to the respective Hawaii
Department of Agriculture grading scale of Extra Fancy, Fancy, No.
1, Prime, Peaberry and No. 3. Beans graded by size from largest to
smallest are Extra Fancy, Fancy, No.1, and Prime, respectively. Peaberry
is graded by its rounded shape. Even though the No.3 may come from
Kona, it cannot be labeled as "Kona" because of Hawaii's
regulations. Samurai therefore labels it as Hawaii No. 3. It is a
lower grade of coffee. Country Samurai carries all of these grades.
Densimetric Tabling
After grading, each grade is then sent through a machine that separates
the low density beans from heavy ones. Only the heavy density beans
with the full flavors remain in their respective grades by size or
shape. This process is also referred to as gravity tabling.
Final Hand Sorting
Once more, just before roasting the green beans, having been machine
graded and also gravity tabled, they are hand-sorted to remove any
defects that the machines weren't able to separate out. This extra
hand-sorting is done only at Country Samurai in Kona. Quality control
is thorough. We strive for zero defects.
Roasting
Roasting is just another critical step in bringing the best Kona coffee
flavors to your palate. Samurai coffee is roasted between a medium
and a dark roast but at a level just before the beans produce a burnt
taste. At Samurai, we think this brings out the best flavor in Kona.
Packaging
The
packaging of the coffee allows for a clear see-through bag on one
side. We quality control the beans all the way and would like to show-off
the beans that are very uniform with near zero defective beans in
each of the grades. What you see is what you get. We pride ourselves
with the quality of the beans, and yet our packaging enhances the
product especially for gift giving time.
