# Kopi Luwak coffee beans **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [April 12, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305 "2018-04-12T17:25:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/1 "2018-04-12T17:25:17Z")
Having a discussion on why the beans crapped out by the civet cat are supposed to be so good. The only thing I could come up with is that the civet knows how to pick the best beans to start with. Any theories on this? I know quite a few animals are known for picking the best fruit. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/2 "2018-04-12T17:48:07Z")
It’s not just civets, even more elite is [Elephant Coffee](https://blackivorycoffee.com/). If there is money to be made, someone will find a way. I think you are correct about the selection, but there is also the enzymes and digestive juices that, supposedly, make it so special. [Wiki article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak)… _Producers of the coffee beans argue that the process may improve coffee through two mechanisms, selection – civets choosing to eat only certain cherries – and digestion – biological or chemical mechanisms in the animal’s digestive tract altering the composition of the coffee cherries._ ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/3 "2018-04-12T18:24:39Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > Having a discussion on why the beans crapped out by the civet cat are supposed to be so good. The only thing I could come up with is that the civet knows how to pick the best beans to start with. Any theories on this? I know quite a few animals are known for picking the best fruit. IMHO it’s no different than [Antarean Parakeet Glands.](https://sites.google.com/site/h2g2theguide/Index/a/709038) > [@](#): > > An Antarean parakeet gland stuck on a small stick is a revolting but much sought after cocktail delicacy and very large sums of money are often paid for them by very rich idiots who want to impress other very rich idiots. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/4 "2018-04-12T23:30:12Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > … there is also the enzymes and digestive juices that, supposedly, make it so special. This raises the possibility that you could process your own beans. Just toss those babies down and get the strainer ready. Denny ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/5 "2018-04-13T00:28:57Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > It’s not just civets, even more elite is [Elephant Coffee](https://blackivorycoffee.com/). If there is money to be made, someone will find a way. > > I think you are correct about the selection, but there is also the enzymes and digestive juices that, supposedly, make it so special. [Wiki article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak)… > > _Producers of the coffee beans argue that the process may improve coffee through two mechanisms, selection – civets choosing to eat only certain cherries – and digestion – biological or chemical mechanisms in the animal’s digestive tract altering the composition of the coffee cherries._ A friend of mine owns Black Ivory. I had dinner with him last year when he was in Toronto for Passover. Unfortunately he didn’t bring any with him, although I was offered a friends and family discount. At $85 for 35g pre-discount I’ll pass. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/6 "2018-04-13T01:26:15Z")
For what it is worth, elephants to not digest food efficiently. I have some thank you cards I send to selected people made with paper from elephant shit. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/7 "2018-04-13T02:12:03Z")
I have elephant crap paper I bought for art use. The more I think about the more gross it becomes. I try not to think about it. I am certainly not gonna drink shit coffee. I am also not eating sweet breads, or crawfish, or escargot or many other things. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/8 "2018-04-13T06:44:41Z")
My daughter brought some back with her from Fiji. Good, definitely, but not worth the immense cost. But I’m not a coffee fanatic. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/9 "2018-04-13T06:59:54Z")
As almost all kopi luwak produced now is from caged animals, I doubt they get all that much say in bean selection. Especially as they get fed far more coffee beans when farmed than wild ones would naturally eat. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/10 "2018-04-13T09:44:09Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > My daughter brought some back with her from Fiji. Good, definitely, but not worth the immense cost. > But I’m not a coffee fanatic. I could well be wrong, but my first reaction would be skepticism over the authencity/concentration of actual kopi luwak. The luwak is native to Indonesia - I hadn’t heard that it was also endemic to Fiji (but what do I know?). Another possibility would be that somewhere in the fine print it says something like “10% luwak coffee”, and the stuff your daughter brought was made by adding a few luwak beans, probably the rejects, that they imported from Indonesia. All mere speculation on my part. I do know that counterfeit kopi luwak is a problem, however. I’ve had kopi luwak a couple of times (I wouldn’t drink it now, because of the animal cruelty issues arising from its popularity). I didn’t care for it, but I tend to be a mocha java kind of girl - really bright, acidic coffees turn me off. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/11 "2018-04-13T12:58:41Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > As almost all kopi luwak produced now is from caged animals, I doubt they get all that much say in bean selection. Especially as they get fed far more coffee beans when farmed than wild ones would naturally eat. Yeah, I would never buy this stuff, but surging popularity and the willingness of suckers to throw down their money have [created a horrible industry](http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-24034029). ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/12 "2018-04-13T14:08:25Z")
I had no idea that kopi luwak was now mass produced , undermines the original intent. When I lived in Indonesia there was a place that offered a cup, but I never tried it, partly because I thought the idea was stupid and partly because I couldn’t be sure it was the real product. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/13 "2018-04-13T14:23:51Z")
I wonder if the process.could be reproduced artificially on an industrial level, e.g. by synthesizing the digestive enzymes. I suppose it would depend on how much of the quality is based on digestion versus selection. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/14 "2018-04-13T17:50:56Z")
A synthesized product is used for the production of some Vietnamese ersatz kopi luwak coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/15 "2018-04-13T18:11:31Z")
Thread relocated from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/16 "2018-04-13T21:50:09Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I could well be wrong, but my first reaction would be skepticism over the authencity/concentration of actual kopi luwak. The luwak is native to Indonesia - I hadn’t heard that it was also endemic to Fiji (but what do I know?). Another possibility would be that somewhere in the fine print it says something like “10% luwak coffee”, and the stuff your daughter brought was made by adding a few luwak beans, probably the rejects, that they imported from Indonesia. > > All mere speculation on my part. I do know that counterfeit kopi luwak is a problem, however. > > I’ve had kopi luwak a couple of times (I wouldn’t drink it now, because of the animal cruelty issues arising from its popularity). I didn’t care for it, but I tend to be a mocha java kind of girl - really bright, acidic coffees turn me off. Oops - brain fart on my part. I meant Bali. Which I was surprised to learn gets more air traffic than Jakarta. They got out hours before the latest volcano spewing. ---
**Author:** ![simple\_homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@simple\_homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simple_homer)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/17 "2018-04-14T14:49:34Z")
> [@susan](#): > > A synthesized product is used for the production of some Vietnamese ersatz kopi luwak coffee. The last time I visited Vietnam it seemed like there was fake Kopi Luwak coffee sold on every street corner. The stores were full of the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/18 "2018-04-14T17:20:54Z")
> [@susan](#): > > A synthesized product is used for the production of some Vietnamese ersatz kopi luwak coffee. > [@simple\_homer](#): > > The last time I visited Vietnam it seemed like there was fake Kopi Luwak coffee sold on every street corner. The stores were full of the stuff. Some friends of mine just returned from Hanoi, and they brought back a bag of “weasel poop coffee” (their words). I didn’t get to try it but I was skeptical that it was actual kopi luwak as I was under the impression that real kopi luwak was quite rare. They paid, IIRC, something like $180 / lb for it. I’m a coffee snob and I’m a bit bummed they didn’t offer me a cup, even if it was fake. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/19 "2018-04-14T17:48:41Z")
It makes me wonder what other foods might taste better after they’ve been through an animal’s digestive tract. But not enough to try to find out. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kopi-luwak-coffee-beans/812305/20 "2018-04-14T17:54:56Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > …They paid, IIRC, something like $180 / lb for it. > > I’m a coffee snob and I’m a bit bummed they didn’t offer me a cup, even if it was fake. At $180 a poop? er, pop? They won’t just give it away to anyone, even friends.