B on Hawaii

There are those who think of that morning cup o’ joe as something more than a quick pick-me-up.

In the midst of next week's Kona Coffee Cultural Festival on the Island of Hawai`i, three special seminars will be given by the State of Hawai`i's leading coffee expert, Dr. Shawn Steiman. Open to all, his seminars at three premiere coffee houses in the Kailua-Kona area will demonstrate the ins and outs of brewing the best coffee. On Tuesday, November 10, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival kicks off this year on Friday, November 6, with events stretching through November 15th. Festival organizers seem to be taking advantage of the "cultural" aspect of the festival this go-around, to spotlight a number of unique offerings in and surrounding the Kona location, on Hawai`i's Big Island.

Git out yer cowboy boots and lo'i waders: This Saturday and Sunday marks the 37th annual Hawaii State Farm Fair, held at the Bishop Museum, on O'ahu. If you've never been, you're in for a treat. First and foremost, there will be no shortage of edibles to sample; from Ka'u coffee and Ho Farms tomatoes, to Naked Cow Dairy's flavored butters and abalone harvested on the Big Island of Hawai`i.

Last year at this time, we at B on Hawaii were made privy to a little known secret, the origins of which came wafting through the sulfur-tinged air of south Hawai'i. A handful of farmers in the Ka'u district of Hawaiii Island (a.k.a. "The Big Island") were giving more than the ole college try at growing, harvesting and roasting coffee.

For those who haven't heard the rather electrifying news, two of our own Hawaii-grown coffee farms ranked among the world's best specialty coffees at a recent global competition.

The 2005 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival at the Outrigger Keauhou is rapidly approaching. If you're looking for an excuse to save some shipping charges on Kona coffee, swing by the Big Island between November 3 - 12th, and can pick up a case of the island's top-rated brew.