How Much Does Kopi Luwak Cost? How is Kopi Luwak Made? How to Brew Kopi Luwak

The World of Luwak Coffee: From Forest to Cup

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In Indonesia, the most famous coffee is probably Luwak coffee. Luwak coffee is what we commonly call "cat poop coffee"! Whether you drink coffee or not, you've probably heard of it.

Actually, Luwak coffee is made when civets eat mature coffee cherries and pass them through their digestive system. After being excreted and collected, the beans are processed. Due to the fermentation that occurs in the stomach, the resulting coffee has a unique flavor profile.

Currently, Luwak coffee has become a sought-after commodity in the international market, belonging to the golden varieties of coffee.

However, now profit-driven businessmen are no longer satisfied with the sporadic yields found in the jungle. To increase production, they have started keeping civets in captivity and feeding them only coffee cherries.

What is Luwak Coffee?

Luwak coffee, also known as civet coffee (in English: civet coffee, in Indonesian: Kopi Luwak, in Filipino: kape motit, kape alamid, kape melô, kape musang). According to Indonesian language, "Kopi" means coffee and "Luwak" means civet. The natural origins and artificial breeding farms of Luwak coffee are mainly concentrated on islands such as Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Sulawesi in Indonesia, as well as in the Philippines and some other places. It is one of the most expensive coffees in the world, at $400 per kilogram.

Luwak coffee is produced from the feces of the Asian palm civet (a type of civet), hence the name "cat poop coffee." This animal mainly feeds on coffee beans. After fermentation in the palm civet's stomach, proteins are broken down, producing short peptides and more free amino acids, which reduces the bitterness of the coffee. The excreted feces become the main raw material. Since coffee beans cannot be digested, they are excreted, and after cleaning and roasting, they become Luwak coffee.

Taste Profile and Production Concerns

Coffee critic Chris Rubin says, "The aroma is so rich and strong, and the coffee is incredibly rich, almost like syrup. Its thickness and chocolate texture linger on the tongue for a long time, with a pure aftertaste." Palm civets are omnivorous animals. Besides feeding on seeds, they also eat insects, snakes, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Therefore, the feces excreted by truly wild palm civets are mixed with various substances.

Local Indonesian farmers capture palm civets for captivity, feeding them coffee beans for production. However, there are still certain differences between artificially cultivated and natural varieties. Luwak coffee production is very limited, which makes it particularly expensive. Moreover, places selling it are even rarer. Even in its origin country of Indonesia, it's not commonly found. Therefore, most Luwak coffee sold on the market is from artificially raised civets, and the flavor naturally differs from the most original and natural wild Luwak coffee.

The Historical Discovery

In the 18th century, the Dutch established coffee plantations in their colonies of Sumatra and Java in Indonesia. Locals accidentally discovered that a unique small animal native to the area - the civet - loved to eat coffee beans, and only the mature ones. Strangely, what went in as coffee beans came out as coffee beans.

Curious people took the civet's excreted bean droppings and brewed them into coffee, unexpectedly discovering that the taste was particularly aromatic and mellow. Thus, "Luwak coffee" was born.

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Recommendations for Luwak Coffee:

V60/1:15/90℃/Time: 1 minute 50 seconds

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