What makes a perfect cup of coffee? Many would argue that it is the taste. There is nothing better than drinking the bold, rich flavor of coffee beans, particularly in the morning. Most of us have become accustomed to inserting additives like milk and sugar, which are completely fine except for the fact that they can detract from the original taste.
That being said, there are a multitude of coffee beans out there, many of which are low quality and do warrant masking the taste once they have been brewed. This cannot be said of Kopi Luwak. In the world of coffee, this is the crème de la crème, the very best of the best. It has its origins in Indonesia and has been harvested for centuries. You can imagine that the price tag for some of these coffee beans is indeed high, but every avid drinker should pay for a taste at least once in their life. The story behind how Kopi Luwak is processed is certainly an interesting one; many still don’t believe it due to its uniqueness.
What is Kopi Luwak?
Few of us would be delighted to eat food that has been partially digested and excreted, but that is exactly what you get with Kopi Luwak. The Asian palm civet is a small cat-like creature that is native to Indonesia, and among some of its favorite delicacies are coffee berries. Once the animal has done its business, the berry remains are processed, cleaned, and heated to very high temperatures, resulting in the coffee beans.
Many Indonesian farmers raise Asian palm civets for the specific purpose of “making” the beans. Hopefully this hasn’t deterred you from wanting to buy a cup of Kopi Luwak (although that would not be surprising), because it is truly one of the best types of coffee available on the market. Interestingly enough, the name itself actually refers to how the gourmet coffee is processed. At any rate, the price it commands tends to be roughly $700 per kilogram.
Is it Really That Good?
Spending this kind of money for a cup of gourmet coffee is a bold move, but you get what you pay for. It should be mentioned that Kopi Luwak does not have a uniform taste, as its quality largely depends on the condition of the Asian palm civet that is producing it. A sick or unhealthy animal will not be able to digest the berries as well, which can in turn have an effect on the end taste of the beans.
Many people argue that Kopi Luwak is popular for its rarity factor rather than for how good it actually tastes. We will leave the final determination up to you, if you dare to buy it, of course.