What is Kopi Luwak? Well I’ve been doing my own investigation after I saw a you tube video recently. I had heard the stories, but never thought that it was really true. Recently I asked the question to several renowned roasters on the blogs at Barista Exchange. To my surprise I didn’t get that many responses, but I did get some good follow up information.
So now that I’ve peaked your interest here’s the real scoop. Kopi Luwak means Civet coffee. In Indonesia there is an animal that loves coffee. It looks like a cross between a weasel, raccoon and a stray cat that shows up on our back deck. Anyway the civet cat will eat the ripe coffee cherries then the digestion process begins and typically everything is digested except for the seed, which is what’s left behind. It’s popular to then have the locals pick up the poo and sort through it by picking out the green coffee. It is then washed, whew I was glad to hear that, and then roasted to taste.
It’s hard to believe that someone would enjoy the taste. I mean surely it still has to be better than the red can. That’s truly one way to go green! What is also interesting is that you never really know what you’re going to get, as there could be several varieties of robust coffee included in any cup.
The coffee is not cheap, considering the special process involved, so I’m not sure that I’m ready to pay $65.00 for a lb. of Civet Coffee. If you are though, then I’ve got good news. I have a supplier and can ship it to you processed or unprocessed. Guess which one is cheaper?
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