Kopi Luwak is famously known for its high price. According To CEO Magazine, this coffee is about US$1,300 per kilogram. Why is it so expensive? Who is behind Kopi Luwak’s popularity?
Many already know about this. For those who do not, Kopi Luwak is originally from Indonesia. It also comes from animals called palm civets or luwaks. Yes, palm civets eat ripe coffee cherries and excrete coffee beans. After cleaning and roasting the coffee beans, Kopi Luwak is ready to set.
Kopi Luwak’s Popularity
If we think about it, how can animals’ feces taste good? When the coffee beans pass through the digestive system of the palm civets, the beans will go through an enzymatic process. The process will remove the chaffs from the coffee beans. Therefore, it contributes to the distinctive taste and texture of the coffee beans.
However, there has been an issue regarding Kopi Luwak. Not all palm civets that produce these coffee beans are from the wild. There are many palm civets caught and caged. These palm civets are forced to eat the ripe coffee cherries. According to Coffee Affection, research finds out that Kopi Luwak Plantation rarely meets animal welfare standards. These include hygiene, shelter, and the freedom for the palm civets to move around.
Still, it is not wrong to drink Kopi Luwak. All you have to do is make sure that the chosen company did not abuse these animals. Make sure to check the company’s ethical process, and then you can enjoy the coffee.
Besides palm civets that can produce coffee, rhesus monkeys or macaques can too! Nevertheless, they do not produce coffee by excreting them. Instead, they chew and spit them out. People call this coffee as Monkey Coffee and it came all the way from India and Taiwan.
Source: Coffee Affection, CEO Magazine, The Spruce Eats