The most expensive coffee in the world is brewed from beans partially digested and defecated by the Asian palm civet

Friday, April 11, 2014 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
Tags: coffee, kopi luwak, Asian palm civet

(NaturalNews) The world's most expensive coffee, kopi luwak (literally, "civet coffee") is brewed from coffee beans that have been eaten and partially digested by the Asian palm civet, a catlike wild animal.

The beans are harvested from the droppings of the civet and washed, and can be brewed into an aromatic coffee renowned for its lower bitterness and excellent flavor.

According to coffee critic Chris Rubin, "The aroma is rich and strong, and the coffee is incredibly full bodied, almost syrupy. It's thick with a hint of chocolate, and lingers on the tongue with a long, clean aftertaste."

A pound of kopi luwak can cost anywhere from $100 to $3,000, and a single cup may cost as much as $80.

Traditionally, the coffee was so rare because harvesters had to scour the rainforest floor looking for civet droppings that contained coffee beans. In recent years, some people have started caging wild civets and feeding them the beans directly.

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com

http://urbanlegends.about.com

http://science.naturalnews.com