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Real Kopi Luwak Coffee Priced Higher Than Gold Indonesian Civet Coffee is Not from Actual Cats

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange for more coffee bean information please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account cafe_style) FrontStreet Coffee - Civet Coffee Introduction Civet coffee is one of the most expensive coffees in the world with a price per pound reaching several hundred US dollars in recent years it is extracted from the feces of civets and then processed Civets eat ripe coffee fruits and through their digestive system

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Civet Coffee

Civet coffee is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. In recent years, its price reached several hundred US dollars per pound. It is extracted from the feces of civets and then processed. The civet eats ripe coffee fruits, and after passing through their digestive system, the coffee beans develop a unique flavor due to fermentation in the stomach, making them highly sought after in the international market.

Kopi Luwak (civet coffee) is produced from the undigested coffee beans excreted by the Indonesian palm civet (a type of civet) after eating coffee fruits and fermenting them in their digestive system, hence the name "civet 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 washing and roasting, they become civet coffee. Coffee critic Chris Rubin said, "The aroma is so rich and intense, and the coffee is incredibly thick, almost like syrup. Its thickness and chocolatey texture linger on the tongue for a long time, with a pure aftertaste."

Palm civets are omnivorous animals. Besides eating coffee cherries, they also feed on insects, snakes, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Therefore, the feces excreted by truly wild palm civets are mixed with various substances. In Indonesia, some farmers capture and raise palm civets, feeding them coffee beans to produce civet coffee. However, there are still certain differences between artificially cultivated and natural varieties.

Civets prefer to select the most mature, sweet, plump, and juicy coffee fruits from coffee trees as food. After passing through their digestive system, only the flesh of the fruit is digested, while the hard, original coffee beans are excreted unchanged by the civet's digestive system.

This digestive process creates unparalleled magical changes in the coffee beans, resulting in unique flavors. The taste is particularly aromatic and mellow, with a rich, round sweetness that cannot be compared to other coffee beans. This is because the civet's digestive system breaks down the proteins in the coffee beans, reducing the bitterness caused by proteins and instead increasing the smooth texture of these coffee beans.

Because wild civets are clearly better at selecting good coffee fruits, this gives this coffee its extraordinary characteristics.

Knowledge point: Coffee beans are the fruit of the coffee tree, which belongs to the Rubiaceae family of perennial evergreen shrubs or small trees.

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In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a specialty coffee research center dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation only to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three coffee discount events every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest prices. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!