Okay, I admit I am not a coffee drinker. Don't like it. Never had.
But I have coffee
aficionados in the family and among my friends. So, I try to know something about the culinary art that is brewing coffee.
So, I am having a conversation with another member here, who is, by all rights, a coffee fiend! She loves it and knows her stuff. So I mentioned, in regard to some Sumatran beans I recently purchased, I had read about
Kopi Luwak, a.k.a. "Civet coffee." It is from Indonesia and is reportedly the most expensive coffee in the world. Why? you ask - here's why:
Also known as Indonesia Palm Civet Coffee, Animal Coffee, or Cat Coffee.
Kopi Luwak coffee comes from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, an area well known for its excellent coffee. Also native to this area is a small civit-like animal called Paradoxurus, the locals call them luwaks. These little mammals live in the trees and one of their favorite foods is the red ripe coffee cherry. These animals eat the cherries, bean and all. While the bean is in the little guy's stomach, it undergoes chemical treatments and fermentations. The bean finishes its journey through their digestive system, and exits. The still-intact beans are collected from the forest floor, cleaned, then roasted and ground just like any other coffee.
The result is this Kopi Luwak coffee that is said to be like no other. It has a rich, heavy flavor with hints of caramel & chocolate. Other terms used to describe it are earthy, musty, and exotic. The Kopi Luwak body is almost syrupy and it is very smooth.http://luwakkopi.com/Yes, the coffee beans are predigested and collected from civet turds. Let me say, I am open to suggestion. And we have some Indonesians and East Asians on the site who may be very familiar with the product.
What say you?