Kopi luwak

Lore & Background

The origin of kopi luwak is connected to the history of coffee production in Indonesia. Dutch colonialists established coffee plantations there and imported beans from Yemen. In the 19th century, farmers in central Java began brewing coffee from excreted beans collected at their plantations. The traditional method involved collecting feces from wild Asian palm civets, but increasing demand led to intensive farming where civets are kept in battery cages and force-fed cherries, raising ethical concerns about animal welfare.

Kopi luwak is produced mainly on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi, and in East Timor, as well as in the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Ethiopia. In the Philippines, it is also produced in Palawan's Langogan Valley using droppings from the Asian palm civet and the Palawan binturong. Producers argue the process may improve coffee through selection (civets choose only certain cherries) and digestion (biological or chemical changes in the digestive tract). The beans begin to germinate by malting, which reduces bitterness.

Within the coffee industry, kopi luwak is widely regarded as a gimmick or novelty item. The Specialty Coffee Association of America states there is a 'general consensus within the industry...it just tastes bad'. Professional coffee tasters distinguished it from other samples but remarked it tasted 'thin'. A comparative chemical study found civet-processed Robusta beans had higher total fat and elevated levels of compounds associated with creamy, dairy-like notes.

Reader's Guide

Kopi luwak's significance lies in its status as one of the world's most expensive coffees, driven by its unusual production method and the story behind it. However, its reputation within the coffee industry is controversial: many professionals consider it a novelty item of poor taste, with the Specialty Coffee Association of America noting a consensus that 'it just tastes bad'. The high price has led to widespread fraud, with investigations by PETA and the BBC finding producers labeling coffee from caged civets as 'wild sourced'. Ethical concerns have grown as intensive civet farms confine animals in battery cages with poor diet, small spaces, and high mortality rates. Tony Wild, the coffee executive who brought kopi luwak to the Western world, launched a campaign called 'Cut the Crap' to halt its use due to animal cruelty. Several commercial processes attempt to replicate the digestive process without animal involvement, including a patented method from University of Florida researchers and a fermentation technology from Brooklyn-based Afineur. The trade in palm civets for kopi luwak production may constitute a significant threat to wild populations.