What is kopi luwak made of and why does it cost so much?

Kopi Luwak, often called cat poop coffee, is made from coffee beans collected from the feces of the Indonesian palm civet. The beans ferment in the animal's stomach, where proteins break down into short peptides and free amino acids, reducing bitterness and producing a smoother cup. Scarcity pushes the price to roughly 400 US dollars per kilogram.

The palm civet is an omnivore found in southern India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and southern China, and it also eats insects, snakes, birds, and amphibians. Wild and farmed civet coffee differ clearly, and most products on the market come from captive-bred animals. Animal welfare organizations note that these civets are often kept in cramped cages with worrying health conditions, which shapes how buyers view the product.

Kopi Luwak, commonly known as cat poop coffee, is made from coffee beans found in the feces of Indonesian palm civets. Due to its scarcity, it is highly priced, reaching around $400 per kilogram. The uniqueness of this coffee lies in the fact that after the beans are fermented in the civet's stomach, proteins are broken down, significantly reducing bitterness and resulting in a smoother flavor. However, there is a clear difference between wild and farmed civet coffee, with most products on the market coming from captive-bred animals. Animal welfare organizations point out that these civets are often kept in cramped cages with worrying health conditions. This article will guide you through the origins, production process, price, and taste characteristics of civet coffee, and recommend related products from Front Street Coffee to help you fully understand this controversial coffee.

Civet coffee is made from the feces of the Indonesian palm civet (a type of civet), hence the name "civet coffee," also known as "cat poop coffee" (civet coffee).

The palm civet is found in southern India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and southern China. In Sri Lanka, it is considered a nuisance by locals because they defecate in ceilings and indoors, often making noise and disturbing sleep.

The Indonesian palm civet primarily feeds on coffee beans. After fermentation in its stomach, proteins are broken down, producing short peptides and more free amino acids, which reduces the bitterness of the coffee. The excreted feces then become the main raw material.

Since the coffee beans cannot be digested, they are excreted and, after washing and roasting, become civet coffee. One kilogram costs about $400.

The palm civet is an omnivore; besides seeds, it also eats insects, snakes, birds, and amphibians and reptiles. Therefore, the feces of truly wild palm civets contain various substances.

Local farmers in Indonesia capture palm civets for breeding and feed them coffee beans to produce civet coffee. However, it is said that there is a difference between artificially bred and natural ones.

Civet coffee is produced in very small quantities and is particularly expensive. Moreover, places that sell it are even fewer. It is not commonly seen even in its origin, Indonesia. Therefore, most civet coffee sold on the market is from captive breeding, and its flavor naturally differs from the most original and natural wild civet coffee.

How exactly is captive-bred civet coffee made?

The main production site for civet coffee is Indonesia. However, animal welfare organizations have issued warnings, stating that the civets responsible for producing the coffee beans are kept in environments similar to chicken cages in poultry factories.

Farmers producing civet coffee capture wild civets and lock them in small cages. Even newborn family members are forcibly separated, and then they are continuously fed coffee seeds. It is said that at least tens of thousands of civets live in such harsh conditions.

In the local area, civets are quite common, but depending on the species, some have been listed as endangered. For example, the binturong (Arctictis binturong), but it is said that sometimes endangered binturongs can be seen at coffee bean production sites.

However, there are indeed people who make a living from producing civet coffee beans. If animal protection is prioritized, the price of coffee beans would certainly rise even more. Ultimately, it is likely the voiceless animals that suffer in the end.

In the following video, the civet paces back and forth in the cage, clearly exhibiting abnormal behavior. When wild civets are confined to small cages, loneliness and depression can lead to mental abnormalities.

It is said that civets are typically kept for 3 years. During these 3 years, they eat only coffee beans, so they lack essential vitamins and nutrients. After 3 years, their health deteriorates severely.

Most Indonesian farmers sell coffee beans produced this way as if they were natural beans collected from the feces of wild civets in the forest.

If bought locally in Indonesia, you can get cheap civet coffee beans. However, during distribution, the price gradually increases.

When people from some developed countries look at certain Asian countries, they often think the living conditions there are dirty. Moreover, if they judge the pets there by Japanese pet standards, perhaps not only civets but even cats and dogs might seem pitiable.

I think that due to differences in habits and culture, people's perspectives on things vary. This issue may not be just about distribution; it is not possible to simply criticize locals from an animal protection standpoint. However, gaining a bit more knowledge might be beneficial for the animals.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.