Kopi Luwak – Cat Crap Coffee!

I can’t believe you didn’t list Kopi Luwak already! It’s basically coffee that has first been “processed” by being swallowed, then excreted whole by a civet cat.

Civet Eating Coffee Cherries

Coffee cherries going in…

Digestion

Product coming out…

The enzymes and acids in the civet’s digestive system impart special qualities to the coffee that make it a special delicacy, making the coffee smother tasting. The cherries are fermented as they pass through the animal’s intestines.

Cool Beans

and yer payday…

You can then process the coffee like you would any other coffee.

Some stores even sell kopi luwak in bulk, though it does not come cheap, running $170 per pound.

There is also a sister product named black ivory coffee which is found in elephant dung.

If you serve it and your guests complain that “the coffee tastes like shit”, you can reply with “yes, yes it does!”

Problems With Kopi Luwak Coffee

This luxury coffee is typically made in Indonesia and can cost up to $80 per cup in the United States. Unfortunately there are other drawbacks beyond the price.

• Ethical Issues: Living conditions for the captive civets that make it in Bali are often grim with the animals living too close together and being used as tourist props throughout the day when they would normally have a nocturnal, solitary life.
• Quality: Civets creating coffee using commercial farming do not create the best product as they are often stressed by the environment and wild civets can pick superior coffee cherries.
• Fakes: Opportunists have taken advantage of influencer culture and the buzz around this exclusive product by offering fake product. It is believed over 80% of Kopi Luwak sold today is fake.

Submitted by Tony Emond

PS: more background information is available on Wikipedia.