Civet Coffee (kopi luwak)

Kopi luwak (Indonesian [ˈkopi ˈlu.ak]) or civet coffee is coffee made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) and other related civets. Civet choose coffee berries that has an optimum level of maturity based on taste and smell and eat it with peel outer skin with his mouth then swallowing mucus and coffee beans. Coffee beans that are still wrapped in the hard cuticle (parchment) is not destroyed in the civet’s digestive system because the civet has a simple digestive system, so when out with feces the coffee beans is still intact wrapped by parchment.

When the coffee beans in the civet’s digestive system, fermentation process occurs naturally for approximately 10 hours.  Fermentation in the civet’s digestive help improve the quality of the coffee because besides being in the optimum fermentation temperature of 24-26° Celsius, the fermentation was also aided by enzymes and bacteria that exist in the civet’s digestive.   

Protein content in civet coffe is lower than regular coffee because  protein reform through the fermentation is more optimal. These proteins act as forming a bitter taste in the coffee when roasted, so the civet coffee is not as bitter as regular coffee because of low protein content. 

Components that evaporate also have any different between regular coffee and civet coffee, Evidenced by the aroma and flavor of civet coffee which is very typical. The fermentation process which is not uncommon by the civet makes many people reluctant to consume it because disgust or fear, whereas bacterial content in the civet coffee that has been baked is more lower than regular coffee.

Civet coffee is produced mainly on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago, and also in the Philippines (where the product is called motit coffee in the Cordillera and kape alamid in Tagalog areas) and also in East Timor (where it is called kafé-laku). Civet coffee also widely noted as the most expensive coffee in the world.