Description

• THE KOPI LUWAK STORY
• The Luwak (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) denizen of the coffee (kopi) plantations of Sumatra, eats only the ripest coffee cherries.
• Unable to digest the coffee beans, the Luwak graciously deposits them on the jungle floor where they are eagerly collected by the locals.
• The stomach acids and enzymatic action involved in this unique fermentation process produces the beans for the world’s rarest coffee beverage.
• “The secret of this delicious blend,” enthuses the Indonesia Tourism Promotion Board, “lies in the bean selection, which is performed by a luwak, a species of civet cat endemic to Java. The luwak will eat only the choicest, most perfectly matured beans which it then excretes, partially digested, a few hours later. Plantation workers then retrieve the beans from the ground, ready for immediate roasting.”
• Kopi luwak began showing up in North America during the 1990s at the height of the Starbucks-inspired gourmet coffee craze. It has been sold in the U.S. for up to $600 per pound and can fetch as much as $30 for a single brewed cup in some parts of the world. Coffee connoisseurs explain what makes kopi luwak worth the exorbitant price:
• The aroma is rich and strong, and the coffee is incredibly full bodied, almost syrupy. It’s with a hint of chocolate, and lingers on the tongue with a long, clean aftertaste. It’s definitely one of the most interesting and unusual cups We’ve ever had.