According to a folk story, the natives of Sumatra discovered Kopi Luwak coffee. They were not allowed to pick the coffee fruits from the plantations of the Dutch settlers in the 18th century.
After seeing that the palm Civets eat the coffee cherries off the coffee bushes and then excrete the beans in their poop, the workers in the coffee estates began to collect the beans, wash them and make a coffee drink from them and discovered that it tasted better.
Kopi luwak (in Indonesian: Kopi - coffee; Luwak - palm Civet) is coffee produced from coffee beans that have passed through the digestive system of Asian palm Civets.
In Southeast Asia, and especially in Indonesia, among the coffee plantations, runs the palm Civet, an animal similar to a mongoose that loves the coffee fruit and survives by eating fruits and eggs. Still, during the season of the coffee fruit, the animal relishes it and prefers it to other foods.
The palm Civet sniffs and knows how to choose only the ripe fruit.
After eating the fruit, the coffee cherries go through normal digestion.
After 24 hours of fermentation in the Civet's stomach, the undigested cherries come out in groups (clumps) in the Civet's poop, with some beans still attached to the cherries.
Processing The Luwak Coffee from Poop to Beans
The droppings are dry and have no smell at all. The natives collect the poop and send it to a processing center.
The processing center accepts the coffee only on the condition that it arrives as "clumps" to be sure that it is authentic coffee.
In the processing center, they separate dung into individual pods. The moisture percentage in the beans, which are in the parchment skin, is high.
The clumps are collected, washed thoroughly, and the beans spread on a large surface exposed to the sun to dry; for about a week until the beans are dry.
During this time, they shrink, and the parchment becomes dry and crispy, and it is straightforward to peel it by breaking it.
The beans undergo a light roasting process only so as not to harm the variety of flavors and the lack of bitterness that result from the process the beans go through in the digestive system.
Palm Civet poop clumps
The Most Expensive Coffee in The World
Lewak coffee, also known as civet coffee, is the rarest and most expensive coffee in the world and is considered the best.
But this does not indicate its rich taste but implies the exclusivity of the producers. However, importance cannot be attributed to the highest price for his taste but to the process itself.
Small quantities and high demand has made this coffee so sought after that there is always a shortage.
As in any supply and demand market, the shortage has created a market of breeders who capture the animals and put them in cages.
Just like chickens, let them eat only coffee beans, which are of poor quality, to save money, and the result is not only lousy coffee; but also animal abuse.
In principle, it is best not to purchase Luwak coffee from unknown sources in order not to encourage these growers.
According to John Martinez, a Jamaican coffee expert, the excellent, unique, and mysterious taste of Lewak coffee comes from the special glands that produce oil in the groin.
It is not particularly surprising that there are many fakes for this coffee.
But there are even some professionals who can identify the real thing: just like Massimo Marcona, a professor at the University of Guelph.
Final thoughts
It is impossible to talk about coffee without describing one of the strangest types of coffee in the world called - Luwak coffee.
Regarding the quality of this coffee
Marketing materials claim that Civet's ability to select the best coffee beans makes this high-quality coffee.
The coffee fruits they eat are the finest, and their digestive system ferments the beans, reducing the level of acidity and providing much better coffee.
So why are people willing to pay hundreds of dollars for one kilogram/Lbs of Luak coffee, even after the "master" has selected the beans and fermented them?
Probably because of the novelty, the great story and the work involved in producing this coffee is certainly more than The one invested in making a regular cup of coffee.
People are often willing to pay more for a product that requires more effort, even if the product itself is no better than one made with less effort. Cafe Luwak sounds like an excellent example of this principle of pricing based on effort.
The best thing about coffee beans is that a wide variety is available worldwide.
Ten Most Expensive Coffee Bean Varieties
Each variety of coffee is slightly different in taste, aroma, and price;
Here is a list of the ten most expensive coffee bean varieties in the world:
1. Kopi Luwak
Lewak coffee is one of the rarest and most expensive coffees in Indonesia. Its high price is due to the unique processing method of the coffee. See above
When roasted, the coffee beans become especially sweet and impart a flavor reminiscent of roses, plums, and tea.
2. El Salvador Los Planes Pacamara
Excellent quality Arabica coffee from El Salvador makes it very unique. Pacmara coffee beans are much larger than the average beans.
This expensive coffee has won many awards; one of the titles this coffee received is a score of 93.52 points and second place in the "Cup of Excellence" award in 2006.
Finca Los Planes coffee has a medium body, acidic, and loaded with fruity, strong nutty flavors reminiscent of raisins, melon, walnuts, plums, and berries (mainly blueberry and raspberry extract).
3. Ospina Coffee
The Ospina family produced Colombian coffee over 200 years ago. This coffee's path to fame began in one of the oldest coffee plantations in Colombia. With over 200 years of coffee harvesting experience, you can probably guess that the Ospina family knows a thing or two about making great coffee.
Each coffee tree can take anywhere from 3 to 5 years to start producing coffee beans, and then it takes many more years until it is finally ripe enough and ready to harvest. Ospina Coffee is unique because each coffee tree is planted in volcanic ash, and its final coffee has nutty and intense caramel flavors.
4. Hawaiian Kona Coffee
If you are looking for American coffee, there is only one place with a coffee-friendly climate and good soil to produce a quality crop: Hawaii. Kona coffee is grown and harvested on Hawaii's Golden Kona Coast (North and South Districts) on small farms owned by local Kama'ina families.
Coffee Kona is full-bodied, smooth, acidic, and has chocolate flavors. There are also strong and unusual flavors of berries and caramel.
It may not be the most expensive coffee on the list, but due to costly and complex trade regulations with exports coming out of Hawaii, this coffee has an inflated price. Although the coffee is good, there are better quality coffee varieties at more affordable prices.
5. Black Blood of the Earth
Coffee, "The Black Blood of the Earth," was created by Philip Bruton, who wanted to produce delicious coffee without any bitter taste. Unlike standard coffee brewing, the "black blood of the earth" is prepared through a unique cold vacuum extraction process.
The variety of coffee beans used in "The Black Blood of the Earth" contains a lot of oil and originate from the rift valleys of Ethiopia and Africa. If you are a serious coffee addict, you must try.
6. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
Jamaica's Blue Mountain coffee is one of the most famous coffee varieties around the world; Even your local coffee shop should have a bag or two of this coffee sitting on the shelf. However, this coffee has become a massive hit in Japan, with about 80% of Blue Mountain coffee exported there.
As the name suggests, this coffee originates from the Blue Mountains in Jamaica. The altitude and the constant rains help to produce coffee with a slight acidity, perfect for everyday consumption.
7. Finca El Injerto Coffee
El Injerto coffee is grown in the areas of La Libertad and Huahuantango in Yemen. Arabica beans are scarce and characterized by their tiny size; in fact, they are only about a third of the size of regular Arabica coffee beans.
At an online auction in 2012, Finca El Injerto coffee sold for a record price of $500 per pound. Cafe Finca El Injerto received the "Cup of Excellence" title and won the Pacamara Coffee Awards three times. The taste of the Finca El Injerto character is a slightly floral taste of jasmine and rose (an exceptional sweetness).
8. Carmen Patino and Lucas Pinchao
These two coffee varieties came 1st and 2nd in the 2014 Cup of Excellence, with a difference of only 0.5 points. These two varieties of coffee beans combine salty flavors with a slight sweetness, a very complex taste to describe; As the coffee begins to cool, you begin to notice caramel flavors that are less noticeable when the coffee is still hot.
9. Helena Coffee
Saint Helena coffee was a favorite of Napoleon, so much so that he begged for one last cup of coffee four days before his death. The island of Saint Helena, where the coffee originates, is about 1,200 kilometers off the west coast of Africa when it is on the map. This island is in the middle of nowhere! This isolation and the cost of transporting the coffee to the end consumer is probably why Saint Helena coffee has such a high cost.
Saint Helena coffee is medium roasted and well balanced with a combination of caramel and citrus extracts. It also has a bit of pepper-like spiciness that lingers on the tongue. Cafe St. Helena won the "Cafe of the Year" award by Spilling The Beans in 2013.
10. Starbucks Frappuccino
You probably didn't think that Starbucks coffee could be so expensive, but there was a very creative man named Beau Chebrus who wanted to order the most expensive coffee from Starbucks on his 27th birthday. This is Bio's custom-order Frappuccino drink that beat a previous record of $23.60 and costs $54 for a drink containing various toppings.
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