How I tried Luwak coffee – the most expensive coffee in the world with a strange way of production

Upon arriving in Bali, I noticed a strange coffee name with a picture of an animal that looked like a cat. My first thought was that it was an animal drink or had animal vigor. As it turned out later, it is made by a close relative of the Ricky-Ticky-Tavi mongoose known to all.

To explore the whole process, I went to a small farm where they grow coffee, cocoa, the animals themselves and conduct tastings.

Upon entering, I was greeted by a smiling Balinese woman. She escorted me to the tropical garden where she explained and showed me the plants that are used to make the drinks, cacao, and coffee.

We walked smoothly up to the cages where the eyed cats from the pictures were bustling about. This animal is called a luwak or Asian palm civet. They don’t see well during the day and mostly sleep, but at night they go out to hunt.

They are gourmets by nature, as they love to drink low-alcohol fermented palm sap and snack on red-colored coffee berries, sometimes called “coffee cherries”.

Having an ultra-fine sense of smell, the animals select the ripest and most flavorful berries; this is the first stage of production. The next stage begins in the animal’s digestive tract.

The stomach juice of these animals contains cebitin, which breaks down the proteins of coffee beans, which gives the drink a special flavor.

The locals collect undigested, fully preserved coffee beans. Then they wash them, dry them and roast them. During roasting, coffee acquires a richer flavor.

Only about 500 kilograms of this coffee are produced annually on the planet. The wholesale price of a kilogram of unroasted luwak coffee beans ranges from $100 to $300.

A cup of luwak coffee in specialized cafes ranges from $ 5 to $ 10, which by Balinese standards is very expensive, as the price of regular coffee starts at $ 1.5.

Producing the invigorating beverage on farm plots has its own nuances. Animals kept in cages are deprived of the opportunity to move freely on the branches in search of the best coffee berries. And are forced to eat what the staff feeds them.

This affects the taste and quality of the coffee. The price of such a product will be lower than that extracted in the wild under a palm tree where the luwak has fallen asleep.

After stories about the way of coffee production and acquaintance with the animals, which we could not pet because of their aggressiveness, we were taken to the tasting terrace.

At first we tried classic coffee with additional flavors: ginger, ginseng, cocoa, honey, coriander, turmeric. Our taste buds gradually became tired of bitter, bright and intense flavors. And then we were brought Luwak coffee.

Compared to the usual varieties, this coffee was distinguished by its aristocracy and softness. It has a special flavor with a slight bitterness, a distinct tinge of butter and honey, as well as a stable pleasant aftertaste.

Holding a cup of coffee in my hands and enjoying its aroma, completely forgot about the peculiar method of production. I decided that by drinking it, I would possess a feline grace and speed. And the image of a furry animal is just about it.

A doctor’s opinion

Marina Rosenstein

Allergist, immunologist, PhD, member of the American Nutrition Association (ANA).

Coffee is one of the most controversial products and is being researched up and down. Some conduct studies and prove that the beverage is 100% beneficial. Other scientists say that many people’s favorite arabica causes cancer.

First of all, it should be said that coffee causes hypersensitivity in 60% of cases. People who were born and raised in Russia, do not “digest” this product very well. Therefore, it is still worth checking how your body reacts to caffeine.

Also, the drink can be dangerous for people with hypersensitivity to gluten (a group of complex vegetable proteins). A 2013 study found that instant and processed coffee caused unwanted reactions in people with celiac disease or gluten allergies.

Often mitotoxins produced by mold fungi appear in the beverage due to improper transportation and storage.

In this case, drinking natural coffee did not produce such a reaction. It not only banishes drowsiness, increases reaction, speeds up metabolism, but also increases dopamine levels.

If we talk about coffee obtained in such a way as Luwak, we should definitely agree on the taste. In terms of useful properties, this drink is not particularly different from other varieties. Moreover, it is deprived of most of the coffee properties.

More often than not, beyond the borders of Bali and tropical countries, Luwak is sold fake. It is very difficult to determine the quality of coffee. Although today manufacturers of such a product appear in Russia.