It never fails to amaze, the human spirit for discovery. In the world of coffee, a world inhabited by many a discerning palate, it is extraordinary that one of the finest brews is derived from a bean that has been eaten and then excreted before gracing the cup. Did someone discover this fine coffee by mistake or out of necessity as there were no other beans about other than those that lay on the ground in a pile of doo doos. You know the type of person that would do it don't you, the “Don't talk to me until I have had a coffee!” type.
So what is this fine coffee? It comes from South East Asia which does not surprise given their penchant for foods that are considered strange to western tastes and decencies. It is called Kopi luwak. Kopi means coffee, and a luwak is the name of the tree climbing animal, related to the mongoose, that climbs to eat the fruit containing the coffee bean. The coffee bean passes through the luwak and is excreted to be collected, processed and made into a sumptuous and exceedingly expensive cup of coffee. Mind you, when someone can have a website called “Life after coffee, because there is no life before coffee”, maybe $50 a cup is good value.
The taste according to one aficionado is “smooth and chocolaty”. Given its origins, it is hardly surprising. The special piquance is attributed to the enzymatic action the bean receives on its magical journey through the alimentary canal of the luwak.
The name Kopi luwak at least sounds nice and exotic. The version from Vietnam is called Caphe cut chon which translates to fox dung coffee. And there is always Kopi muncak. This is the coffee made from the beans which have been extricated from the dung of the barking deer. The mind boggles. I can't see it taking off at Starbucks.
The human spirit is incredible but so is its aptitude for lethargy, lassitude and laziness. Whilst the luwak was first reviled for destroying the coffee cherry crop, Kopi luwak caused it to be reconsidered because the difficult job of climbing the coffee tree was not necessary. Much better to sift through a pile of luwak droppings whilst having a smoke and watching TV.
