Although coffee is incredibly ubiquitous, many people aren’t familiar with the process of what actually goes into getting that delicious and aromatic morning cup. In fact, most people wouldn’t recognize coffee beans before their roasting process. Most people may not know, for example, that before you have your cup or bag of kona coffee, you have Kona green coffee beans.

What are Kona Green Coffee Beans

Did you know that coffee is technically a fruit? Green coffee beans are actually seeds of coffee cherries. Coffee beans are actually these green seeds before they’re roasted and sold as the coffee beans you’d recognize. It may seem surprising, but these little green seeds hold a wealth of flavor potential. If you were to try them raw however, it is safe to say you would NOT enjoy the taste. The roasting process is what turns these seeds into coffee beans and releases all the flavor stored inside.

Roasting Kona Green Coffee Beans

Coffee roasting is a heating process that turns raw green coffee beans into the aromatic and flavorful beans we all recognize as coffee. The green coffee beans are almost totally unrecognizable from the beans we are used to; that’s because the roasting process (when the beans are brought to high temperatures rapidly) causes chemical changes within the Kona coffee green beans, these changes are what bring out the rich flavors and aromas that identify the quality of coffee. The roasting process is a fascinating one, and one not many will witness since we purchase roasted whole or ground beans. Being able to witness and learn more about the process on a coffee roasting tour is truly a unique experience.

Out of the many processes that take place before coffee ends up poured into your cup, roasting is probably the most elusive. This is because it is a complex process involving a careful application of heat to the raw Kona coffee green beans. The heat transforms the makeup of the green coffee (things like sugars, acids and proteins) into different aromas that end up impacting the taste of each coffee batch. The roasting process brings out aromas like malts, nuts, berries, and even chocolate. The roasting process is truly one of the most important (and impressive) steps of the coffee process.

Take a look at Kona Green Coffee Beans

There aren’t too many organic opportunities that arise to see how coffee is grown and processed. That’s why we suggest, if you’re interested in learning more about coffee and understanding the complexity of both the process and the flavor profiles, taking a Kona coffee farm tour if you’re on island. Kona coffee farm tours are a wonderful opportunity to have a hands-on experience with the coffee growing process and expand your knowledge. Depending on the time of year, you can see coffee cherries or even the Kona coffee green beans themselves! Besides a farm tour, a coffee roasting tour in Kona can help you learn and appreciate the many steps and the complexities of the actual roasting process, ensuring you never take that first flavorful sip for granted!