Coffee culture

World's Most Expensive Coffee Brand - Saint Helena Island Coffee: Cultivation, History, and Flavor Profile

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee
Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). On May 21, 1502, Portuguese Captain Nova's warship, passing the Cape of Good Hope and heading northward homeward across the South Atlantic, discovered an unnamed small island. Nova named the island Saint Helena. When Saint Helena Island was discovered, Europeans were not yet aware of coffee...

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

The Discovery of Saint Helena

On May 21, 1502, Portuguese Captain Nova's warship passed the Cape of Good Hope heading north to return home, crossing the South Atlantic, when he discovered an unnamed small island. Nova named the island Saint Helena.

When Saint Helena was discovered, Europeans still didn't know what coffee was, and there were no coffee trees in Asia and Latin America either. However, a new beverage made from brewed coffee fruits called qahwa was beginning to become popular in Yemen, and the Arab world was swept up in a qahwa craze, while Europeans continued to enjoy beer and wine as usual.

The Introduction of Coffee to Saint Helena

In 1732, the British East India Company, caught up in the coffee transplantation trend, obtained Bourbon coffee trees from Mocha, Yemen, and casually planted them on the British territory of Saint Helena. In 1815, after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, he was exiled to Saint Helena, giving this coffee an opportunity to become known to people.

Saint Helena Coffee: The World's Most Exclusive

After Napoleon's death from illness in 1821, the delicious taste of Saint Helena Island coffee spread. Today, it remains one of the world's most valuable estate coffees. Saint Helena produces only 2-12 tons of green beans annually, making it even rarer than Jamaica's Blue Mountain, which produces 700-1000 tons. Saint Helena Island coffee costs $55 per pound, even more expensive than Blue Mountain. Truly expensive!

The Beauty of Serendipity

As the saying goes, "Carefully planted flowers may not bloom, but casually planted willows grow into shade." There are truly many serendipitous coincidences in this world, and perhaps you will encounter them too.

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