Kopi Luwak
The origin and description of kopi luwak are discussed here
KOPI LUWAK ( Palm Civet Coffee )
The animal on the right is responsible for one of the most exotic drink called Kopi Luwak. The said animal is the Common Palm Civet, a small tree dwelling animal Scientifically it is called Paradoxurus hermaphroditus but locally in Indonesia it is call luwaks.
The luwak is a nocturnal animal and during the night it will seek out and eat only the ripest and reddest coffee fruits. The eaten coffee fruits passes through the digestive system of the luwak. The flesh of the fruit is digested but the beans are excreted out in the feces. The location where this happens are on a few islands of Indonesia, namely Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi.
A similar process takes place in Philippines, Vietnam and South India. In Philippines such coffee is known as Kape Alamid and in Vietnam it is known as Weasel coffee ( as the beans there are eaten by weasels).
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Red
Coffee Berries |
Un
process Kopi Luwak |
Cleaned
Kopi Luwak |
However it is Kopi Luwak which became the well known one world wide. No one knows why or who first started to collect the beans that fell to the forest floor, cleaned them, then roasted and ground it up and brew the first cup of Kopi Luwak. But what ever it is Kopi Luwak today has built up a reputation of being a very unique and exotic coffee drink.
What's the taste of Kopi Luwak Like?
Probably due to the internal fermentation when the beans were in the civet digestive system, this had added a unique flavor to Kopi Luwak. The taste is described as rich in flavor, with hints of chocolate or caramel or chocolate. Others description includes earthy, musty and exotic. The body of the drink is very smooth and syrupy.
Is Kopi Luwak Safe to Drink?
University of Guelph food scientist and adjunct Prof. Massimo Marcone examined the chemical and physical properties of Kopi Luwak coffee.For comparison they used Columbian beans as a control. The following are what the team found.
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The tests revealed that the Kopi Luwak beans had negligible amounts of enteric (pathogenic) organisms associated with feces.
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Roasted Kopi Luwak beans had lower bacterial counts than control beans.
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The Kopi Luwak beans are lower in total protein and probably this is due to the digestion process. A lower level of protein reduces the bitterness taste.
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The test found that the Kopi Luwak beans had more red and yellow tones, whereas the control beans were more greenish in colour.
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And analysis of the volatile compounds which are responsible for flavor and aroma. Test showed that they were significantly different than the control. This further indicates the potential for Kopi Luwak coffee having a different flavor than ordinary coffee.
How Much Does Kopi Luwak Cost?
Due to intensive labour required and strange method of collecting, there isn't much Kopi Luwak produced in the world. The average total annual production is only around 227kg (500 pounds) of beans. Hence it is not surprising that this coffee is going to cost a lot. At the time of writing the .wholesales price is about $175 to $450* per pound (0.45kg), un roasted. When roasted the price is going to be even higher and it's not surprising too to read people paying $50 for a cup of Kopi Luwak. Hence making Kopi Luwak one of the most expensive coffee.
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