Coffee Luwak is considered one

I want to start this section by making very clear that NONE of the photos of the tame Luwaks you see on this website were taken at our plantation. The images you see here are of orphaned Luwaks we saved from pet shop cages in Bali NOT in Sumatra.

Luwak is the Indonesian name for the Civet Cat. Also known as the Asian Palm Civet, the Common Palm Civet or (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). It’s a native to the highlands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia and a relative of the Indian mongoose - famous for its lightening fast reflexes and ability to kill cobras and other snakes

Pronounced SIHV iht, the civet is a furry mammal resembling a long (13-38 inches; 33-97centimetres), slender cat – with a more pointed snout, a fluffier tail, and shorter legs. This fluffy, muscular tail is sometimes as long as the rest of the body. Civets use their tail to grasp branches and to steady themselves while climbing trees. Civets also live in Africa and by nature, nocturnal, the Luwak spend their nights rampaging through the local coffee plantations. As they scurry up the trees, back and forth along the fruit bearing branches, they inspect each berry, meticulously. They only choose to eat the berries that are perfectly ripened, with just the right amount of water content and acidity in the parchment.

Lucky for the Civets, the Dutch decided to grow coffee in its backyard – and the civet cats took an instant liking to eating ripe coffee cherries.

Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee. Kopi Luwak literally means coffee from the civet cat.

"Who are the greatest coffee connoisseurs in the world”

KOPI LUWAK Excellent Coffee

Luwak –or Civet- is an animal which likes consuming fruits. One of its favorite fruit is coffee. However, coffee eaten by a civet is not coffee in common. Civet has a good instinct in choosing the best coffee. Civets consume the red coffee fruits, and they tend to pick the ripest and sweetest fruit. The inner bean of the fruit is not digested, but a unique combination of enzymes in the stomach of the civet add to the coffee’s flavor by breaking down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste.

Kopi Luwak – or Civet Coffee – is very special for coffee lovers. This Coffee is very popular, even it ever been reported in Oprah Winfrey Show TV program. oprah_kopi_luwak-150x150

In foreign countries such as United States, its price is very expensive and become the most expensive coffee in the world.

One small cafe in Queensland Australia has Kopi Luwak on the menu at A$50.00 (US$33.00) per cup. Brasserie of Peter Jones department store in London’s Sloane Square started selling a blend of Kopi Luwak peanut and Blue Mountain called Caffe Raro for £50 (=US$99.00) a cup.

Kopi Luwak price equals with its amazing taste and aroma, and its limited in nature.

Kopi Luwak Not just an urban legend

Kopi Luwak coffee comes from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, an area well-known for its excellent coffee. Also native to the area is a small civit-like animal called a Paradoxurus. That's the scientific name, the locals call them luwaks. These little mammals live in the trees and one of their favorite foods is the red, ripe coffee cherry. They 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 the digestive system, and exits. The still-intact beans are collected from the forest floor, and are cleaned, then roasted and ground just like any other coffee.

The resulting coffee is said to be like no other. It has a rich, heavy flavour with hints of caramel or chocolate. Other terms used to describe it are earthy, musty and exotic. The body is almost syrupy and it's very smooth.

One must wonder about the circumstances that brought about the first cup of Kopi Luwak coffee. Who would think to (or even want to) collect and roast beans out of animal feces? Perhaps a native figured it was easier to collect the beans from the ground this way, rather than having to work harder and pick them from the trees? We'll likely never know. But because of the strange method of collecting, there isn't much Kopi Luwak produced in the world. The average total annual production is only around 500 pounds of beans.

Because of the rarity of this coffee, the price is quite outrageous. If you can find a vendor, the current cost for a pound of Kopi Luwak is around $300 or more. Some more adventurous coffee houses are selling it by the cup, but you won't likely find it at your local coffee shop just yet. The coffee isn't so spectacular that it's truly worth that amount of money. You are paying for the experience of enjoying such an unusual and rare delicacy.

AnimalCoffee.com offers a gift box of Kopi Luwak coffee, that would be a great gift for any coffee lover. Read my review of this product and find out more about the taste of Kopi Luwak.