Do you know where the most expansive coffee in the world comes from? The answer is Indonesia. And what makes it even more special is its material – cat’s excrement. We have to thank luwak (Malay pronunciation for civet cat) for bringing the coffee such a flavor that no one can refuse. Let’s see how this magic happens: the cats eat coffee berries for it fresh pulp, the beans in the other hand cannot be digested, and are then defecated, so comes the precious material.
In some islands of Indonesia such as Java, Sumatra, Bali and Sulawesi, civet coffee is the traditional specialty.
In order to get the precious “civets coffee beans”, local farmers in Indonesia usually catch the civets and feed them in the cage. There are also some coffee businessmen who rent a whole island for the civets just for the nature environment there with sunshine, rain and dew. “The civets eat, egests, you just cannot force them, you only get the beans in their defecation, that is why they are so precious.”
It is reported that this rare coffee is produced only 500 pounds per year, not only because its material which is hard to get, the process is complicated as well, not to mention the strict health programs. But the special aroma you can smell when you taste the coffee makes everything worthy.
Now, let us take a look at the process of making the most expansive coffee around the world.
Dira is picking up the berries, two years ago, he and his wife raised 9 civets.
Cats cannot digest coffee beans, so beans are defecated, farmers then collect those beans. In the picture, Dira is collecting the beans for further processes.
The mixture of coffee beans and cats feces are dried in the sun, and then thoroughly cleaned and light roasted.
Dira is checking roasted coffee beans carefully. Being different from the dark roast, Luwak coffee is light roasted, the color differs from cinnamon to brown, its flavor and taste is very unique.
It cost more than 227 dollars for every pound of Luwak coffee. Japan and South Korea is the largest market. With it unique, mild, chocolate-like lubricated taste, not to mention the breath of earth and musk, the Luwak coffee is no doubt the best coffee.
In fact, the official name of Luwak coffee is Kopi Luwak. Kopi means “coffee” in Indonesian, and Luwak means wild civet cats.
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