This fuzzy little creature is a luwak, also known as the Asian Palm Civet. It's an animal found in Indonesia. Actually, they have them here in Singapore too, but for the purpose of this blog I'm telling you they are found in Indonesia. Civets like to eat the red coffee cherries. These cat-looking creatures pick the sweetest and ripest cherries to eat. When civets eat these beans, they aren't able to digest the inner part. However, a unique combination of enzymes combine in the stomach of the animal to break down the proteins that give coffee a bitter taste. The civet then poops out the beans, still covered in some inner layers of the berry. Some poor sap has the job of picking out the beans and washing them off. The beans are then lightly roasted. And how much do we pay to drink this poop coffee? Between $100 and $600 dollars per pound. Kopi Luwak, as its called, is the most expensive coffee in the world.
I'm trying to hunt some of this kopi luwak down since I live so close to Indonesia. I'd like to take some back to the US with me. First I have to make sure I can get it past US Customs without any problems. As long as they're good with me bringing it in, I hope to bring back some poop coffee for my friends and family I love the most.
You're welcome.
