Civet Coffee Love
Would you be interested in trying out a cup of coffee whose beans came out with a civet cat’s manure? For many coffee connoisseurs, the answer is a definite yes! For less adventurous people however, the mere thought of drinking anything that came in contact with manure is disgusting. But civet coffee fans say that you only have to consume it once to be converted.
Civet coffee is one of the world’s rarest and most expensive coffees, and it is made in Southeast Asia and some parts of China. It is known by many names, such as kopi luwak in Indonesia, and kape alamid in the Philippines. The name civet coffee comes from the fact that the beans are taken from the manure of a member of the mongoose family called the civet cat, also known as the Asian Palm Civet. The civet cats polish off the choicest coffee berries, and the beans are partially digested in their stomachs before being excreted whole into the ground. Since the civet cats tend to use the same areas to mark with their dung, the farmers have no trouble finding and collecting these coffee beans. These excreted beans are then subjected to a good cleansing, and are sun-dried. Afterward, they are roasted to perfection.
It is not unusual to find a combination of Liberica, Exelsa, Robusta and Arabica coffee varieties blended in each batch of civet coffee, depending on what the animal ate. According to one study, the enzymes in the civet cat’s digestive tract magnify the flavors of the different coffee varieties. When brewed, civet coffee has been depicted as thick and delectable, and the taste is said to be smooth, sweet, slightly dark and chocolatey. Unlike other coffees, civet coffee is does not have that bitter aftertaste.
Approximately 2000 kilos or so are made of this tasty treat annually, as civet coffee is still gathered from the excretions of civet cats in the wild. There are some reports of civet cat farms that purposely offer the animals the coffee beans, but allegedly these animals produce less under duress. This means the supply will stay at a minimum, and guarantee that the price will always be high.
Civet coffee has found a devoted following among coffee lovers in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and other parts of the world. Prices for this rare food item can go as steep as 100 dollars for 100 grams, or about $30 per cup, mostly due to restricted and labor intensive production. You can buy both ground or whole roasted beans in selected coffee shops, in some Asian markets, or in online stores. But beware, there are many fake or adulterated civet coffee beans in the market today, so make sure to shop around for a reputable store before making a purchase.
