Hawaii’s Signature Exports
Hawaii is a unique place. It is located in the middle of the Pacific and is as far from a continent as a place can be. It is home to many unique plants and animals, and it also produces a number of unique products.
Would you believe that one of Hawaii’s biggest exports is bottled water? Well it’s true. But this bottled water is unlike any bottled water in the world. It doesn’t come from a pristine mountain stream. Instead is comes from the bottom of the ocean. Water, from melting glaciers in Alaska, travels in an undersea current to Hawaii. This trip takes over a thousand years. Several companies extract this water, remove the salt and bottle it. Much of this unique bottled water is sold in Japan, but people from the U.S. are beginning to buy it too.
Another product that Hawaii is known for is anthurium flowers. These South American plants were brought here in the 1800s and have become an established part of the local economy. Many new varieties were developed by local growers and the university and they are shipped from Hawaii to many different parts of the world.
Hawaii is also known for Macadamia Nuts, especially chocolate covered ones. The Macadamia Nut is originally from Australia, but like the Anthurium it has become a big part of the local economy. They taste amazing when dry roasted and sprinkled with salt or when coated in chocolate.
Kona Coffee is yet another superb product from Hawaii. Only coffee that is grown in the districts of North and South Kona can be called Kona coffee. Several factors make Kona Coffee special. The first is the rich volcanic soil that it is grown in. This gives the coffee a distinctive aroma. The second is the specialized micro-climate of the Kona region. Sunny days and afternoon rains give the coffee a very smooth flavor.