Hawaii’s resident coffee scientist Shawn Steiman investigates the conflicting historical accounts of when coffee first arrived in Hawaii.
If you look into the history of coffee’s arrival to Hawaii, you’ll discover that most sources report that it was first brought by the Spaniard Don Francisco de Paula Marin, but that his plantings weren’t successful. In the next sentence, you’ll probably read that it was successfully introduced in 1825 when it arrived from Brazil on the HMS Blonde- with no assistance from Marin. One of two dates will be written for its initial introduction by Marin: January 21, 1813 or December 30, 1817
Which will it be? No spoiler to the mystery here. Read the blog entry on CoffeeKind.
Shawn is author of the books: The Hawaii Coffee Book
Coffee: Comprehensive Guide to the Beverage and Industry