It's the most expensive coffee in the world and it definitely has the strangest origins. When in Bali, we had to experience luwak coffee for ourselves and see what all of the hype was about.
Indonesian luwak beans are collected from the droppings of a cat/rodent-like animal called the civet. They are a nocturnal animal that eats the ripe coffee cherries as part of their diet. The civet can't digest the bean and it poops them out. The beans are gathered up, then scrubbed clean and sterilized. Having passed through the animal's digestive system the luwak proprietors claim that it takes the acidity and bitterness out of the bean.
Once the beans are finished being cleaned they are treated like normal coffee beans-- roasted, ground, and then brewed into coffee.
You can get luwak coffee at many different places in the Ubud, Bali area. Typically they give you a tasting of locally made coffees and teas and then you can purchase a small cup of luwak coffee for 50,000 IDR, which is about $3.50 USD. You can also buy ground luwak coffee by the gram, and it works out to about $5 per full cup of brewed coffee.
So, how was it?! It was pretty damn good actually. I'm not a coffee aficionado, but I'd say that my palate is fairly well versed in the markers of quality coffee. The cup we had contained no sugar or cream in order to get the full impact of the brew. It was very easy drinking, not bitter or acrid, and overall it was a really pleasant coffee experience. I couldn't justify the expense of drinking it everyday, but it was totally worth stopping by for a cup to taste.
Please let us know if you've had luwak coffee and what your thoughts were about it! All photos ©Jayme Burrows. Thanks for Upvoting :) If you are interested in food and travel please follow us on our adventures
