You’ll Never Look at Coffee The Same Way Again: The Story of Kopi Luwak Coffee
Although you probably haven’t heard the name before, Kopi Luwak coffee is coveted around the world for its superb taste and quality. Flavor isn’t the only characteristic that distinguishes this rare coffee from others; the way in which it’s produced brings about the most shock and awe (second only to its price tag). Kopi Luwak coffee is made from coffee berries that have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet: a small, cat-like land animal found in Sumatra and Indonesia. Civets consume the fruit and seed of coffee cherries, but the coffee beans pass through their system undigested. Coffee farmers seek out the coffee beans that have been consumed by wild civets for two reasons: The civets select only the ripest coffee cherries to eat, ensuring that the beans are of the best quality; secondly, it’s believed that the enzymes within the stomach of the civet add to the coffee’s flavor by breaking down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste. After being washed and cleaned, the coffee beans are lightly roasted. The light roast maintains the unique and complex flavors that developed through the civet’s digestive process. Also known as “weasel coffee”, Kopi Luwak is sought after for its incredible bitter-free taste — a smooth flavor that’s second to none.
At this point you might be thinking: Yuck, I don’t want use coffee beans that an animal ate and shat out. However, Kopi Luwak coffee is considered entirely sanitary and safe. Intensive washing and high roasting temperatures help to eliminate potential bacteria, and producers of the coffee also assert that the enzymes in the civet’s digestive track naturally sanitize the coffee beans.
So now that we’ve cleared up why this type of coffee is so rare, what makes it so darn expensive? Clearly the methods of farming employed require a bit more, er, flexibility on the farmer’s behalf, as well as an understanding of the wild civet’s behaviors and body system. Unlike other types of coffee, Kopi Luwak coffee farming can be unpredictable as it is wholly determined by an animal’s eating pattern, which means plantation workers can only collect and produce what’s available to them. Rare indeed, this Indonesian coffee is the most expensive in the world and considered a cultural treasure. Rich, full-bodied, powerful and decadent, Kopi Luwak may not be a coffee you drink day-to-day, but it’s certainly a beverage you should enjoy at least once in your life — if not only just to tell your friends where the contents of your mug came from.
