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Civet coffee, renowned as the priciest brew globally, has intrigued scientists who may have uncovered why consumers are willing to shell out over $1,540 per kilogram for it.
Surprisingly, this luxurious coffee originates from an unusual source: animal feces.
Known as kopi luwak, this exclusive coffee is produced using beans extracted from the droppings of the Asian palm civet.
These small, furry mammals are indigenous to regions in South and Southeast Asia, including countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
The civets consume ripe coffee cherries, digest the fruit, and excrete the beans, which are then collected and transformed into the coveted civet coffee.
It has been around for more than a century and is usually so expensive because of the labour-intensive harvesting process, which often involves farmers hunting through forests for beans civets have pooped out.
The beans are usually found in small clusters, so it takes a long time to harvest a single kilo, and need to be laboriously cleaned before they can be roasted.
But many coffee afficionados claim civet coffee is worth the cost because of its unique flavour profile.
Now scientists have revealed they might be on to something.
Indian researchers discovered that civet coffee beans had higher levels of fats and other key flavour-enhancing compounds than traditionally harvested beans.
That could be why civet coffee has its unique taste and is so pricey.
The researchers analysed coffee beans collected from the faecal matter of wild civets on five robusta coffee estates in India, then compared them to the beans harvested from ripe coffee berries on each estate.
They discovered that civet coffee beans had a higher total fat content, which would affect the coffee’s aroma and taste profile.
They also had higher levels of two fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) than the other beans, which may add a dairy-like flavour to the coffee.
According to the research, the chemical differences between the civet coffee and the traditionally harvested beans comes down to the animals’ digestive systems.
Civet coffee beans undergo fermentation while being digested, causing chemical changes that likely affect the coffee’s final flavour.
However, these findings are based on unroasted beans and the researchers said the roasting process can alter the beans’ chemical composition.
They also only analysed robusta beans, but most civet coffee is produced using arabica beans, so there may be differences between the two.