What is Kopi Luwak, and why is it so expensive?

Kopi Luwak is a unique coffee produced from beans that pass through civet mammals' digestive systems. It's expensive due to its labour-intensive collection process and rarity.

What does Kopi Luwak taste like?

It's often described as smooth, earthy, and less bitter than regular coffee. The flavour can vary based on factors like diet and bean quality.

What are the ethical and environmental concerns?

There are ethical concerns due to inhumane practices of keeping civets in captivity. Additionally, Kopi Luwak production can harm the environment and wild civet populations.

Is the world's most expensive coffee Kopi Luwak just a hype?

Precious RongmeiPrecious Rongmei/TIMESOFINDIA.COM/TRAVEL TRENDS, INDONESIA/ Created : Nov 5, 2023, 20:00 IST

Is the world's most expensive coffee Kopi Luwak just a hype?

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Kopi Luwak is not a variety of coffee beans, but it is an unusual way for processing the coffee beans. Did you know that sometimes the price of the 'farmed’ beans go up to USD 100 per kilogram? For the ones that are collected from … Read more

Is the world's most expensive coffee Kopi Luwak just a hype?

Indonesia’s Kopi Luwak, often referred to as the world's most expensive coffee, has generated a significant amount of intrigue worldwide. If you are a fan of coffee, you have most certainly heard of Kopi Luwak. Well, for those unaware, Kopi Luwak is not a variety of coffee beans, but it is an unusual way for processing the coffee beans.

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Did you know that sometimes the price of the 'farmed’ beans go up to USD 100 per kilogram? For the ones that are collected from the wild, one will have to shell out USD 1,300 per kilogram. Now that’s one expensive cup of morning coffee, don’t you think?

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This cost is the result of a very unique and somewhat unconventional way of processing those beans. You see, the beans are first eaten by civets (small, cat-like mammals), who then pass these beans through their digestive systems. The same undigested beans are later collected from their faeces. It is said that during this process, the civet’s digestive system alters the beans’ composition, and it is this that gives the coffee its unique flavour.

Fans have even called the flavour “super smooth”, and also less bitter than the traditional coffee.

But Kopi Luwak’s journey from beans to faeces to beans again and finally your morning cuppa, is not without some highs and lows. Highs being the popularity, and lows is probably the fact that some producers can (allegedly) turn this into an unethical and inhumane practice.

If something is so valued (monetarily), who’s to say that the process is always humane? Are the civets always happy to contribute? That’s definitely something to think about.

Also read: Indonesia: Torajan people and their unique funerary custom

As per reports, majority of the Kopi Luwak coffee comes from farms where the civets are kept in cages and are fed these coffee berries. It’s the faeces that contain these precious beans, and when the civets are fed just that, you are sure to keep getting a generous amount of the much-coveted “processed” coffee beans.

This surely can’t be good for the civets. In the wild, they would have a mixed and healthy diet of other fruits, berries and insects. Not just coffee.

Also read: Exploring Mt. Kelimutu in Indonesia: Where nature paints three different coloured lakes

Now, the question is, is there an alternative? Of course there is, the normal coffee! But if one is hell bent on procuring only authentic Kopi Luwak, there is very little that one can do to stop the demand and supply. If Kopi Luwak is sourced from the wild, like it was always supposed to be, it automatically removes the unethical aspect.

The story of Kopi Luwak remains something that will require much more in-depth research and some serious conservation efforts.

What is Kopi Luwak, and why is it so expensive?
Kopi Luwak is a unique coffee produced from beans that pass through civet mammals' digestive systems. It's expensive due to its labour-intensive collection process and rarity.
What does Kopi Luwak taste like?
It's often described as smooth, earthy, and less bitter than regular coffee. The flavour can vary based on factors like diet and bean quality.
What are the ethical and environmental concerns?
There are ethical concerns due to inhumane practices of keeping civets in captivity. Additionally, Kopi Luwak production can harm the environment and wild civet populations.