Chapter 14
For a brief moment, you could have heard a coffee bean drop. Then the chatter of the other tourists filled the room.
“Victor married Keiki’s mother several years ago,” Regan clarified. “Technically he’s my boss because he runs the coffee operation. Since I’m the controller, I also report to Ritz Naygrow, the owner. He…” she stopped as two men entered the center from the back of the building. “There’s Ritz and Victor now.”
A short wiry Asian man in his early fifties conversed with a tall dark-haired man with cinematic good looks. Dressed in an off-white linen blazer and dark slacks, the taller man looked like he’d stepped off the movie set of South Pacific, ready to sing “Some Enchanted Evening.” I took a wild guess this was the owner. Regan gave a half-hearted wave in their direction and they headed toward us.
She introduced the men to our group. “This is Ritz Naygrow, the owner of Koffee Land. And this is Victor Yakamura.”
Mother took Victor’s calloused hand in both of hers. “We are all so sorry for your loss.”
Victor stared at her with red-rimmed eyes, bordered by crow’s feet so deep they appeared etched in stone. “Mahalo. Thank you,” he said, releasing her hand. “I must go home now and assist my daughter and my wife.”
“We’ll talk about that matter tomorrow,” Ritz said to Victor.
Keiki’s stepfather nodded then took his leave.
“How do you like Koffee Land?” The dashing coffee plantation owner’s brown eyes sparkled as he beamed at our group. This man was either naturally energetic or he’d just drunk a pot full of Peaberry coffee.
“They just arrived,” Regan told Ritz. “I was about to give them a tour.”
“Of course, of course. They must have the grand tour,” he responded, his voice indicating a trace of an accent. “Feel free to tell them about our upcoming event. But, first, I must go over something with you. Perhaps your guests can sample one of our many delectable items while they wait.”
“Um, okay.” She pointed to a shelf of brightly wrapped boxes. “If you’re hungry, check out our selection of donkey balls. They’re really tasty.”
Liz and I looked at each other. Did Regan say what I thought she said? We zipped over to the aisle Regan had pointed to and discovered an assortment of Donkey Balls, a local brand of sphere-shaped chocolate candies with flavor options ranging from chocolate-covered macadamia nuts to chocolate and fruit-flavored malt balls larger than a super-sized jawbreaker.
What a great place to work. Caffeine in liquid and solid forms. Liz and I each purchased a pack and shared them with the group while we waited.
Regan looked frustrated when she returned. “Ready for the tour?”
I wondered if everything was okay, but with my cheeks stuffed full of chocolate chunks, all I could do was nod.
As we hiked toward an area planted with coffee trees, Regan provided running commentary. “The history of Kona coffee goes back over 180 years. At one point, all Kona coffee trees came from one single tree in the King of France's private greenhouse.”
“Talk about a huge family tree,” joked Stan.
Regan politely chuckled then explained that elevations for coffee farms on the Big Island ranged from 1,500 to 3,500 feet. Unlike grapes, which are picked in the fall at the precise moment the vintner determines, coffee cherries don’t ripen at the same time. They get picked four to six times a year. Labor costs for hand picking are one of the reasons Kona coffee is so expensive, sometimes exceeding fifty dollars a pound.
Fifty dollars a pound? No wonder they call it Kona gold.
“After the cherries arrive at the mill, the beans are washed then sundried on decks called hoshidanas.” Regan pointed to a large deck in the distance
“What happens if it rains?” I asked.
“We use lots of tiny umbrellas,” Regan responded. When my mouth gaped, she smiled. “A little coffee humor. We have mechanical dryers if needed.”
As we continued the tour, I marveled at the similarities and differences between grape growing and coffee farming. More than fifty wineries are located in El Dorado County. Several owners are friends of mine, so I knew a tremendous amount of love and labor went into producing the award-winning Gold Country wines.
“Are all beans grown on this island considered to be Kona coffee?” I asked.
Regan shook her head. “True Kona coffee must be grown within the Kona coffee belt, an area twenty miles long and only two miles wide.”
“I read something about a scandal where some grower bought less expensive beans then sold them as one hundred percent Kona coffee,” Stan said.