My Thoughts on Drinking Coffee Poo

There are many things I expect to find in my coffee.

Milk. Sugar. Maybe a little latte art.

Poo was definitely not on the list.

And yet, here we are talking about Kopi Luwak, also known as civet coffee.

The idea sounds slightly horrifying. Asian palm civets eat coffee cherries, and the beans pass through their digestive system before being collected, cleaned, processed and roasted. Somehow, this very unusual process became associated with one of the world’s most expensive luxury coffees.

So yes, people are essentially paying a premium to drink coffee that has been through a civet.

Before you completely lose your appetite, the beans are thoroughly cleaned and roasted before they become coffee. The digestive process is also believed to alter the beans’ flavour, producing a cup that is often described as smoother and less bitter.

But there’s another side to Kopi Luwak that coffee lovers should know about.

The popularity of civet coffee has raised serious animal welfare concerns, particularly around farms where civets may be kept in captivity and forced to eat coffee cherries. So when I see Kopi Luwak on a menu, I’m not just thinking, “Wow, expensive coffee.”

I’m also thinking, “Where did this coffee actually come from?”

Because apparently, even coffee that comes from poo requires a little research.

I still find the whole concept fascinating. It’s strange, expensive, controversial and undeniably memorable.

Would I drink it?

Let’s just say I’m curious enough to try it once.

But I might need someone else to tell me what I’m drinking first.