A Look At How Kopi Luwak Coffee Is Made

By Author: Vikram Kuamr
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If you have heard of civet coffee or kopi luwak, you may wonder how kopi luwak coffee is made. The process is one which may not appeal to everyone but in spite of the fact that it is a bit unusual, how kopi luwak coffee is made does result in some amazing coffee.

Civet coffee, the English translation of kopi luwak, depends on civets to process the beans and make them more flavorful and less bitter. Civets are small mammals which live throughout Indonesia and the surrounding areas. They eat a variety of different foods including fruits, insects and small animals. In this, they are very similar to the North American raccoon although they look different.

One of the foods that civets love to eat is coffee berries. They naturally choose the ripest berries to eat and this is one thing that helps make civet coffee some of the finest in the world. In regular coffee, some immature or unripe berries may make their way into the mix and this can cause flavor problems. However, because of how kopi luwak coffee is made the civets naturally choose only the ripest beans to transform into civet coffee.

They do this by eating ...
... the coffee berries. After they have been eaten, the berries which will become civet coffee are digested. The enzymes in the civet's digestive tract are excellent at subtly altering the flavor and chemical make-up of the civet coffee beans. When they are sufficiently digested, the civet coffee beans are excreted in the civet's droppings. Now you know the interesting secret behind how kopi luwak coffee is made.

Because of the way in which the beans are processed they tend to be much less bitter than regular coffee beans. They do not need to be roasted as heavily which is one traditional method for trying to overcome the bitterness in coffee beans. Unfortunately, although it gets rid of much of the bitterness, a truly dark roast coffee may not have a flavor which appeals to every coffee drinker. Civet coffee is very different.

However, because of how kopi luwak coffee is made it is extremely rare. Many of the beans which are produced are sold locally and are very popular throughout Indonesia and the surrounding area. Often, people resort to standing around known sellers of kopi luwak beans in hopes of being able to purchase some of them. This is in spite of a very steep price tag that can top several hundred dollars US.

As production methods are refined, the supply of civet coffee will increase. The production of civet coffee has been good for the civets which were facing loss of natural habitat. Now, with increased production of the beans the civets have more room to live and more food to eat. They are also being kept in more confined areas so that the farmers do not have to search as hard to find their droppings.

If you are not having much luck buying the coffee in a store you may want to look online. There, you will be able to find excellent prices on the beans without worrying about getting to the head of the line.

Author Bio.

Civet coffee may be hard to find in a conventional coffee shop because of how kopi luwak coffee is made. If you are determined to find an excellent source of this amazing drink, check out EKopiLuwak today.