Kopi luwak or civet coffee refers to the seeds of coffee berries once they have been eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet. The name is also used for marketing brewed coffee made from the beans. The rarity of this coffee has pushed up prices such that it is also known as the world"s most expensive coffee. Depending on where you are, a cup can cost up to US30-100 dollars.

Producers of the coffee beans argue that the process may improve coffee through two mechanisms, selection and digestion. Selection occurs if the civets choose to eat coffee berries containing better beans. Digestive mechanisms may improve the flavour profile of the coffee beans that have been eaten. The civet eats the berries for the beans" fleshy pulp, then in the digestive tract, fermentation occurs. The civet"s Protease enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids. Passing through a civet"s intestines the beans are then defecated with other fecal matter and collected.

The traditional method of collecting faeces from wild civets has given way to intensive farming methods in which civets in battery cage systems are force fed the coffee beans. This method of production has raised ethical concerns about the treatment of civets due to "horrific conditions" including isolation, poor diet, small cages and a high mortality rate.

 

 

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