What Are the Benefits, Contraindications, and Weight Loss Effects of Kopi Luwak Coffee Beans? Is Authentic Civet Cat Coffee Really Clean and Harmless to Human Health?

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Kopi Luwak: The World's Most Expensive Coffee

Kopi Luwak coffee beans can cost hundreds of dollars per pound, making it one of the most expensive coffees in the world. So what are the effects and benefits of Kopi Luwak coffee beans? Kopi Luwak beans are produced from the feces of Indonesian civet cats after they eat coffee cherries, hence the name "cat poop coffee."

According to local tradition: these animals mainly feed on coffee cherries. The coffee cherries ferment in the civet cat's stomach, breaking down proteins and producing short peptides and more free amino acids, which reduces the bitterness of the coffee. Because coffee beans are rich in fiber and cannot be digested, they are excreted. After the coffee beans are cleaned and roasted, they become Kopi Luwak coffee.

However, in reality, civet cats are omnivorous animals that eat everything. Coffee cherries are merely dessert for them. But many unscrupulous merchants, in order to obtain more Kopi Luwak beans, keep civet cats in cages and only feed them coffee cherries, prohibiting all other food. This has caused Kopi Luwak to be firmly labeled as "cruel" for many years.

Wild Kopi Luwak production is extremely limited. It's just a few bites of after-dinner dessert for the civet cats when they're full and satisfied. According to locals, in the past, only poor people would drink Kopi Luwak. Later, for some unknown reason, it suddenly became valued by wealthy people, perhaps because things are valued for their rarity.

Does Kopi Luwak Taste Good?

Does Kopi Luwak taste good? FrontStreet Coffee has also carried this coffee bean (no longer sold now), with flavor characteristics of herbal, nutty, dark chocolate, and slight fermentation notes.

You could say there's no significant difference compared to wet-hulled processed Mandheling coffee beans from the Indonesia region. If there must be a difference, it might be in body, where Kopi Luwak has the advantage.

But having a better body has little to do with coffee cherries fermenting in the digestive system. In fact, because they only eat coffee berries for long periods, civet cats may excrete coffee beans within one or two hours after consumption. Coffee beans staying in the civet cat's stomach for one or two hours is insufficient to produce the series of changes mentioned above. The bean is still the same bean that was eaten, and even if there are flavor changes, they are minimal.

The better body comes from the fact that civet cats mostly live in low-altitude areas. Coffee beans grown in low-altitude areas typically have more pronounced bitterness to prevent insects and diseases.

Benefits and Effects of Kopi Luwak Coffee Beans

Even if you're not drinking Kopi Luwak, consuming 1-2 cups of sugar-free, milk-free fresh ground coffee daily can achieve benefits such as heart protection, fat burning and weight loss, and liver protection.

Does Expired Coffee Harm the Stomach?

Whether it's coffee beans or coffee powder, regardless of the situation, we do not recommend drinking expired coffee.

Alternative Coffee Bean Recommendations to Kopi Luwak

If you want to taste Kopi Luwak but find it expensive and have concerns, FrontStreet Coffee recommends trying wet-hulled processed Mandheling coffee beans from the Lintong region of Sumatra island.

The characteristic of wet-hulling processing is that after coffee cherries are picked, they are first hulled to remove the skin and pulp using a wooden huller. After 3 hours of fermentation, they are dried until the moisture content reaches 30-50% (semi-dry). Then the mucilage and parchment layer are removed, and the final drying process continues for 2-4 days until the moisture content reaches 12-13%.

Because each step is completed in 70-90% humidity, and the parchment layer is removed before the final drying step, the "exposed" green beans easily absorb moisture from the air. Therefore, the resulting Mandheling coffee gains additional woody and herbal notes.

Through cupping comparisons by FrontStreet Coffee, all Mandheling coffee beans from the Sumatra region possess herbal spice flavors, low acidity, and deep aromas. Therefore, both Mandheling coffee beans sold by FrontStreet Coffee use medium-dark roasting, extending the heating time to enhance the coffee's rich body.

Currently, FrontStreet Coffee sells Lintong Mandheling coffee beans, which have rich herbal aromas, dark chocolate, caramel, and sweet aftertaste upon entry.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473