Kopi Luwak: The Luxury Coffee Derived from Civet Droppings

Nothing screams, "I'm wealthy, I enjoy indulgence, and I like a quirky start to my day," quite like a hot cup of "civet excrement" coffee. However, before you indulge in your next caffeine fix, be aware that a $90 to $650-per-pound cup of Kopi Luwak is a highly marketed and exaggerated concoction of what the taste of "cat" feces, paired with the mistreatment of small tropical mammals, might be like.

Often mistaken for a "civet cat," the elusive Asian palm civet is a nocturnal, tree-dwelling, solitary hunter that behaves more like a mongoose, weasel, or ferret than a cat. In the end, no matter what you call it, its droppings are prized in the exclusive world of coffee enthusiasts who crave the most unique brews.

Regarded as one of the most expensive coffees in the world, the authentic and rare wild-harvested varieties of Kopi Luwak (Indonesian for "coffee") come from civets in Bali or neighboring islands.

What Is Kopi Luwak?

According to marketing lore, wild civets sneak into coffee plantations at night and carefully select only the finest, ripest coffee cherries. These cherries then pass through their digestive system, where their little civet stomachs perform "magical" enzymatic processes that alter the protein structure of the beans. About a day later, the civets excrete the prized remnants, which are then processed into what is marketed as a more refined and unique coffee experience.

What truly drives up the price of the rare, 100% pure, and ethically sourced Kopi Luwak coffee is a fascinating fact: Workers in Indonesia's tropical heat must manually search for and gather civet droppings. Then, they painstakingly sort through the waste by hand to find the ripe, feces-covered cherries. Afterward, these beans are washed, dried, and roasted to create what is marketed as an exclusive, premium coffee. In fact, one study claims that only 500 pounds (227 kilograms) of authentic wild-sourced Kopi Luwak are produced annually.

While genuine, low-yielding, wild-sourced Kopi Luwak commands the highest prices, some reports indicate that up to 70% of Kopi Luwak sold isn't the real deal. Most of the varieties available today are blends that may contain as little as 1% true civet coffee, yet legally bear the "Kopi Luwak" name. Additionally, there is no certification system to ensure that Kopi Luwak labeled as "wild" is truly authentic.

Farm-raised Kopi Luwak

Enter the controversial world of supply and demand: farm-raised Kopi Luwak. For these solitary creatures, it’s a miserable, soul-crushing existence. One day, they roam freely; the next, they’re confined in battery cages, forced to eat nothing but coffee cherries day after day. Not only does the civet mortality rate soar on these farms, but the restricted diet also leads to a low-quality product.

Does Poop Coffee Even Taste Good?

Many in the coffee industry, and even beyond, claim that Kopi Luwak is far from exceptional and actually tastes terrible. "At a farm in East Java, I had the chance to taste a batch of Luwak coffee made from ferrets raised in captivity and fed the same beans. After trying several samples, it was clear that Luwak coffee is marketed for its story, not its taste quality," said Rocky Rhodes from International Coffee Consulting to Helena Coffee Processing & Export in Vietnam.

Tony Wild, the former director of Taylors and Harrogate, the British coffee company that first introduced Kopi Luwak to the West, said in an interview with The Guardian, "When I first brought Kopi Luwak to the U.K., it was a quirky novelty. Now, it's overhyped, mass-produced, exploitative, and inauthentic."

The hard truth? Kopi Luwak coffee is made from substances excreted through an animal's digestive system. It may or may not taste good, it's incredibly pricey, and it involves cruelty to the little creatures involved in its production. So, if any of that gives you pause but you're still curious to try Kopi Luwak, consider flying to Indonesia and sourcing it from a trusted provider of wild civet droppings.