The vast majority of people associate the morning with coffee. It is not customary to spare money on it. The more expensive the jar, the better quality. But there are varieties whose price per 100 g is equal to the average salary of a Russian. What is this miracle coffee?
Thai coffee Black Ivory
Black Ivory or "Black Tusk" is not named so by chance. The main link in its production chain are elephants from the province of Chiang Rai, Thailand. The idea came to Blake Dinkin, who decided to add Thai Arabica to the diet of animals. Elephants are fed with coffee berries, and grains are obtained as a result. Under the influence of intestinal enzymes, they lose their bitterness and are filled with a huge number of flavors. Elephants also eat fruits and sugar cane, which makes the coffee taste unusually soft with a slight floral aroma.
To get 1 kg of Black Ivory coffee, elephants need to eat 33 kg of beans.
A cup of Black Ivory will cost about $50. A kilo of coffee costs $1,100. Therefore, it is the most expensive coffee in the world.
This cost is due to several factors:
- Limited production.
- Long production process.
- Heavy processing.
- Not available for sale.
It is sold in Abu Dhabi, the Maldives and in elite restaurants in Thailand.
A very expensive pleasure. However, Blake Dinkin himself recommends ordering Black Tusk in advance, as there are many wealthy connoisseurs of the drink in the world and there won’t be enough for everyone.
It is worth paying tribute to the businessman. He supports the Elephant Protection Fund and donates 8% of each sale to it. No wonder, because they made him one of the richest and most popular people on the planet.
Other Expensive Coffees in the World - Top 5
There are several other very expensive coffee companies with interesting history and high product quality.
Indonesian Kopi Luwak
Appeared about 70 years ago in Indonesia. Coffee is obtained thanks to the digestive system of the palm civet (common musang). The animal feeds on coffee berries, then coffee beans that cannot be digested come out with its excrement. The unique taste of this variety is based on the enzymatic processing of grains in the intestines of musangs. The bouquet is filled with honey and nutty notes with a slight bitterness.
For a long time, it was Kopi Luwak that ranked first in the world for the highest cost - $ 1,000 for 450 grams. He lost his position, because the production was put on stream. The product is no longer exclusive. Previously, musangs lived in the wild, ate the best coffee berries, which made the quality of the beans at their best. When palm civets were placed in captivity, their diet was affected by human factors. Consequently, coffee has lost its exquisite taste and aroma. The cost of "artificial" Kopi Luwak is from $400 per kilogram. It began to be produced in the Philippines and Vietnam. Sumatra is considered the birthplace of this drink.
Jamaican coffee Blue Mountain
Excellent coffee with an impeccable reputation. It grows on the slopes of the mountain of the same name, 1200 m above sea level. Sea winds, mineral-rich soil, cool and damp climate are exemplary conditions for growing the perfect coffee. In such an environment, the grains ripen completely. The taste of Blue Mountain is recognized as the most balanced. This coffee will be appreciated for its mild taste with moderate bitterness and piquant sourness. Notes of walnut, caramel and fruity aroma will leave an unforgettable aftertaste.
Jamaican Blue Mountain is almost impossible to find in the free market. A large share (90%) is exported to Japan, the remaining 10% is sent to England and France.
Some American varieties may have the same name, only their quality differs markedly from the exclusive JBM. The manufacturer monitors the image and transports coffee not in bags, but in wooden barrels with a company seal and a certificate confirming the originality of the product.
This is John Lennon's favorite coffee, which he loved in Japan.
Several varieties of coffee are grown in Jamaica, but only those plantations that are located in the eastern part of the island are worthy of the JBM name.
The cost of coffee is from $ 200 per kilogram.
Brazilian Jacu Bird (Jacu Bird)
This coffee is grown in the southeast of Brazil. Landings Camocic Estate are famous for the fact that in the 60s of the last century they set out to recreate the most natural landscape. Coffee plantations coexisted with fruit and forest trees. Such conditions began to attract birds to Jacques. Initially, birds were mistaken for pests. They ate most harvest of coffee berries. Birds are an important part of the local flora, so fighting them is pointless.
I had to look at the situation from a different angle. Bird droppings began to be processed, extracting coffee beans from it. Thus, the Brazilian coffee Jacu Bird was born. One of the rarest varieties with a mild nutty flavor filled with fruity notes and molasses aroma. A kilogram of Jacques Bird is valued at $500.
Bat (Bat Geisha), Costa Rica
It grows in the mountains of Costa Rica in the southeast of the state. The uniqueness of the production lies in the fact that bats live near the plantations. Unlike previous varieties, this coffee is not enzymatic. Animals do not eat berries. They just bite through the skin and eat away the flesh. Coated grains remain on the branches, drying naturally. After they are collected by farmers and dried again. The undoubted advantage of this coffee was the ambition of winged animals. They choose only ripe berries of good quality.
The taste of Bat Geisha is sweet with a delicate aroma of chocolate and nuts intertwined with fruity notes. The price is from 500 dollars per kilogram.
The high cost is due to impeccable production characteristics. Grains for Bat Geisha seem to be chosen by nature itself, and drying in two stages makes the taste most striking.
Panamanian coffee Geisha (Geisha)
This variety is native to Ethiopia. They tried to grow it in South America, but the sensitivity of the trees to the local climate did not give farmers a chance. They abandoned its cultivation. 50 years later, Hacienda La Esmeralda won the "Best in Panama" award with trees of this variety.
There are many varieties of coffee called Geisha. Some of them also have Ethiopian roots. But only Panamanian coffee of the same name is of the highest quality.
Geisha has a rich taste with a bouquet of citrus and berries. The price per kilogram starts from $150.
Very rare variety due to growing problems. Not every farmer has the necessary resources for this. But he's worth it. The Geisha variety was recognized as the best discovery of the last century.
The exorbitant prices of the listed coffee varieties depend on the complexity of the production process. It is almost impossible to name the biggest cost, because every year technologies are improved, and with it prices rise.
In this article, we will look at the types of the most expensive coffee on the planet. But as Albert Einstein said, everything in the world is relative. So, the price of the most expensive coffee in the world can vary greatly depending on the place of purchase. Therefore, we will consider the average prices of the finished product.
Coffee is considered to be one of the most sold and demanded products in the world. Surely, almost every family has fans of its wonderful taste and aroma. With the help of a drink made from natural coffee beans, almost every second inhabitant of the earth wakes up and enjoys in the morning. However, not everyone knows that the most expensive coffee, special and delicious in taste Kopi Luwak, is made in a very peculiar way. And it can shock a lot of people. So, Kopi Luwak - the most expensive coffee in the world, is made from animal excrement. Surprised? But, first things first.
Kopi Luwak - an average of $100 for a cup of coffee.
The main character, thanks to which the most expensive coffee in the world is produced, is "musang", it is also called civet. This animal belongs to mammals, its height is from 40 to 60 cm, and its average weight is 3-4 kg. Musangs are widespread throughout Southeast Asia, and on some islands of Sumatra, the Philippines, and Java. On some of the islands, this species was most likely introduced. They mostly live in tropical forests.
And so, how does the most expensive coffee in the world come from litter?
The production process is as follows. Musangs eat ripe coffee beans, which are partially digested in the stomach due to special enzymes, and then excreted. Then the remains of their livelihoods are collected by farmers. Rinse thoroughly, dry in the sun, and roast.
It's hard to imagine who came up with the idea to make coffee this way. But, he certainly didn't fail. After all, this variety is highly valued all over the world. Because of its value, civet began to be caught and caged. But this did not lead to a large increase in production, for several reasons. First, civets do not breed in captivity. Secondly, the enzyme that gives luwak coffee its unique taste. They produce only 6 months of the year.
One color can eat 500-700 grams of coffee berries per day. Which at the output will give about 50-60 g of the desired coffee beans. Which is pretty small. Moreover, musangs should eat not only coffee beans, but also other plant foods. Including meat. Therefore, their diet is not limited to coffee beans.
Some farmers keep animals all year round. Some release them for a while, and then catch them again. This allows you to save on food for six months, when they do not produce enzymes.
The cost of the most expensive coffee varies greatly from place of sale. In countries far from production. The price can reach up to $100 for a cup of this valuable drink.
The most expensive elephant dung coffee is Black Ivory $50 a cup.
The fabulous money that the sale of Kopi Luwak brings in inspired the hard-working and intricate people of Thailand to organize coffee production in their homeland. Here, coffee products are extracted with the direct participation of elephants, namely the stomachs of the latter. In this regard, a zoo-farm was opened in the northern part of Thailand, where twenty elephants live, whose stomachs continuously process coffee beans. Thanks to elephants and their labor, the world has seen no less expensive coffee, which has a loud name - Black Ivory Coffee.
The original way to get "elephant coffee"
Due to the fact that the size of the stomach of an elephant significantly exceeds the size of the stomach of a musang, coffee berries in it coexist with other products of a special diet of animals. As a rule, coffee berries are combined with bananas, sugar cane and various vegetables. Due to this, coffee beans in the stomach are saturated with a fruit and vegetable smell, are processed with gastric juice, modify the initial chemical composition and are naturally excreted from the body in the form of litter.
Elephants are vegetarians, so many meat-haters prefer Black Ivory Coffee. Note that in order to get a kilogram of the latter, you need to feed the animal with over 30 kilograms of selected coffee fruits, which are hand-picked high in the mountains of Thailand.
One of the most expensive coffees in the world comes from Vietnam - Chon $50 per cup
Expensive coffee with an unusual taste is also found in Vietnam. The most expensive type of coffee here is called "Chon". The process of making this Vietnamese coffee is no less complicated. Here, coffee beans that have passed through the stomach of the animal are also taken as a basis. Only the role of the main producer is not “musang”, but the Asian marten. The difference from Kopi Luwak coffee is in preparation. Chon is prepared right under the cup in a special drip filter before serving. The Indonesian version is prepared in a cezve or in a copper pot.
The unsurpassed smell, density and taste characteristics will not leave any lover of this drink indifferent. Main features Chon has a very thick texture, a transparent dark shade and a bright smell.
Coffee entertainment for tourists.
There is little to surprise the modern tourist. But, the inhabitants of the island of Bali did their best - here, especially for notorious extreme sports, farms for the production of rare delicacies are opened. "Coffee" animals are kept in cages and plentifully stuffed with coffee fruits, after which visitors are invited to get acquainted with the number one coffee production technology in the world. Here you can also personally take part in the process of extracting exclusive coffee berries.
The entire process of making Kopi Luwak is done by hand. Comes here every year a large number of connoisseurs of this unusual drink, whose wallet sizes allow them to participate in this truly stunning action. The largest percentage of fans of rare coffee with caramel taste and delicious aroma are Japanese.
Coffee is a fragrant, invigorating drink with a unique chocolate taste, loved by millions. He came to us from Ethiopia, where he acquired his fans 1000 years ago.
In the Ottoman Empire in 1511, coffee was declared a "sacred drink". The brilliant German composer John Sebastian Bach wrote "Coffee Cantata", Catherine the Great was a fan of the "black drink". It was she who first began to use the "coffee scrub", mixing coffee grounds with soap and cleansing the face and body with the resulting mixture.
Coffee beans were once a scarce commodity, worth their weight in gold. Since the mid-18th century, Europeans have established coffee plantations in many tropical countries - Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Vietnam, India.
And today real coffee is not a cheap product. For example, the Arabian coffee tree or Arabica bears grains, from which the most expensive coffee varieties in the world are obtained - from 250 to 500 dollars per kg. They are used in their manufacture various technologies, but the main thing is that all actions are done manually - removing coffee beans from trees, sorting, roasting, packaging. If machines are involved in the process, then the coffee variety immediately drops in price.
But there are several varieties of coffee that use exclusive, completely unique technologies, while their price skyrockets. So what is the most expensive coffee in the world and how is it produced?
"Kopi luwak"
To purchase 1 kg of this coffee, you will have to pay up to $ 1,500! This drink is rightfully called the most expensive in the world. This is because the technology of its manufacture is unique.
Small animal musangs that inhabit all of South and Southeast Asia eat the ripe fruits of coffee trees. Grains are not digested completely and are passed out with animal excrement. People collect musang feces, select undigested coffee beans from it, wash them thoroughly, dry them in the sun, then grind them and sell them for $ 50 per cup of the finished drink.
It has an extremely mild and pleasant taste, without the usual bitterness for coffee. This is because musangs digest the pulp surrounding the grains, while their gastric juice breaks down some of the proteins that give ordinary coffee bitterness. In the fermentation process, civet is involved - a special substance with which the musangs mark the territory. At the exit, it gives the grains a pleasant musky smell. So, with the help of a natural laboratory - the digestive tract of small animals - they get the most expensive coffee on Earth.
Interestingly, if earlier the Kopi Luwak variety was a piece product, then in recent years in Indonesia, South India and the Philippines, its production has been put on stream. How? Very simple. Fur farms have been built in these countries, where musangs are kept. They are fed coffee beans, and then the whole process is repeated. Thus, several hundred kg of this type of coffee began to be produced per year. Of course, this immediately affected the price of the goods, which fell to 350-400 dollars per kg. Still a lot!
But still, true gourmets prefer to buy Kopi Luwak, produced in natural conditions. The fact is that on fur farms, musangs cannot independently choose which grains to eat, they are forced to eat what they are fed. Also, in captivity, the animals cannot run, jump, while in freedom they move a lot and instinctively choose the best, ripe coffee beans. All these factors affect the final taste and aroma of the drink.
"Black tusk" ("Black ivory")
Another variety that claims to be the "Most Expensive Coffee in the World". And again, animals are involved in its production, but this time - elephants. Its price reaches 1850 dollars per kg!
The technology for the production of "Black Tusk" is very painstaking: first, elephants are fed several tens of kilograms of Arabica beans mixed with other elephant food - bananas, fruits, grass. For more than a day, the elephant digests everything eaten, while coffee beans are only partially digested: stomach acid destroys a special protein that is responsible for the bitterness of coffee. The grains in the elephant's digestive tract undergo a natural fermentation process, saturated with an earthy and fruity smell.
After that, they leave the body along with feces. Workers collect elephant dung, carefully sort it out with their hands, finding Arabica grains, which are then washed, dried and ground. This coffee is used to brew a great drink, which has a delicate taste without bitterness, a light fruity aroma.
"Black ivory" is produced only in Thailand, and you can try it only in 4 hotels in the Maldives and in the Anantara Golden Triangle resort, which is located on the border of 3 states - Laos, Myanmar and Thailand ( whence the name).
Why is the price of "Black Tusk" so high? Firstly, due to the special production technology, due to the fact that all actions are performed manually. In addition, in order to get 1 kg of elite coffee beans at the output, the elephant is fed as much as 35 kg! It is clear that the elephant chews some of the grains, some is lost in the grass, some is damaged too much during digestion. In total, strictly 50 kg of this elite variety goes on sale per year.
Interestingly, a significant part of the funds raised from the sale of "Black ivory" goes to charitable purposes - the treatment of elephants, helping the families of mahouts.
"Terra Nera"
The cost of this elite coffee variety is simply over the top - more than $ 20,000 per 1 kg! "Terra Nera" is the most expensive coffee in the world, so far you cannot find more expensive than this brand on the shelves. And again, in its production, the main participants are small animals called palm civets, by the way, they are relatives of the musangs, which are used to produce Kopi Luwak coffee.
Terra Nera is produced only in one point on the globe - in the southeastern part of the Peruvian Andes, in the homeland of the Quechua Indian tribe. Here, mature Uchunari Arabica cherries are fed to palm civets. Animals partially digest coffee beans, depriving them of bitterness in the process of natural fermentation and endowing them with a special taste. After these grains come out with the excrement of animals. They are carefully sorted, washed, dried, and then ground. Terra Nera brewed coffee has a very rich cocoa and hazelnut aroma and a great taste that gourmet tasters appreciate very much.
This elite variety is produced in limited quantities - only 45 kg per year. You can buy it only in one single store - Harrods in London. It is sold by 500 grams in a luxurious bag of silver paper, which perfectly preserves the aroma of coffee. The packaging is sealed with a special valve and tied with a cord with a gold tag. The initials of the manufacturer are engraved on the tag, as well as the degree of roasting of coffee beans (it can be from zero to six degrees). At the request of the buyer, his name can also be engraved on the tag (this service is included in the price of the goods).
What other expensive varieties of coffee are there?
Other varieties of coffee are produced in the usual way, that is, without the participation of animals. Therefore, their cost is significantly lower than the above 3 varieties of the most expensive coffee in the world.
In terms of price and quality, Esmeralda (original name Hacienda La Esmeralda) ranks first in terms of price and quality among traditionally produced coffee varieties. It is produced on a farm in Panama (South America), on the slopes of Mount Baru, according to a secret recipe. The work is carried out partly by hand (collection, sorting of grains), and partly by mechanical means (drying). The output is an elite variety that combines chocolate, fruit and spicy notes. Hacienda La Esmeralda has repeatedly been recognized as the most exquisite drink in the world, receiving all sorts of prizes at International competitions. Its price is up to 400 dollars per 1 kg.
"Saint Helena" or St. Helena Coffee is another elite coffee variety that is produced on the volcanic island of the same name in the Atlantic Ocean. Its cost reaches 200 dollars per 1 kg. Recognized as one of the most environmentally friendly products in the world.
"El Injerto" - it has been produced in Guatemala (Central America) since the 18th century. In the small town of Koban is one of the most famous coffee plantations in the world. The local climate favors the cultivation of coffee beans of very high quality, which, combined with a special production technology, makes it possible to obtain unique variety coffee worth 150 dollars per 1 kg.
In Brazil, the Fazenda Santa Ines coffee variety is grown, 1 kg of which costs at least $100.
About the same price is Blue Mountain, which is produced in Jamaica. Almost 85% of this variety is exported to Japan, where it is the most popular drink.
You can name varieties such as Los Planes (El Salvador, Central America) and Kona Coffee (Hawaiian Islands). Their price is within 80 dollars per kg.
The cheapest varieties on our list are Starbucks Rwanda Blue Bourbon (Republic of Rwanda in East Africa) and Yauco Selecto AA Coffee (Puerto Rico in the Caribbean) at a price of only $50 per 1 kg.
I bought coffee yesterday and witnessed a funny scene that threw up a topic for a story. A puffy and equally self-confident lady told a very nice seller that she had already tried all kinds of coffee (😀) and didn’t know what to buy…
The young man very politely asked the customer if she knew that the most expensive coffee in the world is made from ... animal poop! The lady was noisily upset, said that the seller was mocking her and left the coffee shop (to our great joy).
But the guy was absolutely right - one of the most expensive varieties in the world, luwak coffee (or kopi luwak, Kopi Luwak) make a very cute animal named from the excrement musang or palm civet ( paradoxurus hermaphroditus).
The word "kopi" is translated in the local dialect in two ways - both as musang and as coffee.
This coffee is produced commercially in Indonesia, the Philippines, South India and Vietnam. It is indeed one of the most expensive coffees in the world.
The most amazing thing is the flowery epithets that are awarded to luwak: “the most prestigious in the world”, “premium class”, “drink of the gods”, “caramel”, “with a delicate aroma of vanilla and chocolate” (that squeamish lady would have fainted already 😀 )
How is this fantastic drink made? Yes, very tricky: civets eat fresh coffee berries, which are processed in their stomachs and intestines by special digestive enzymes.
The special taste of kopi-luwak is explained by the ability of the gastric juice of musangs to break down some proteins that give bitterness to the finished drink, as well as by the action of bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract and interaction with secretions of glands, which include civet.
Coffee beans that naturally leave the digestive tract of the musanga (with those same, well, poop ...) are dried in the sun,
then they are thoroughly washed, after which they are dried again in the sun and only then fried.
Wild civets, by the way, are great gourmets and fussy - they choose the most selective and ripe coffee berries. And farmers then carefully collect their poop. 
And initially they made their way to coffee plantations wild civets, but then some ingenious joker came up with the idea to pick the grains from their poop and process it in the manner described above. And away we go - now these unfortunate civets, which are a bit like cats in their habits, are kept on farms in cages and force-fed with coffee berries.
Each civet is fed about 1 kg of coffee berries per day, which yields only about 50 g of grains in poop.- this "small efficiency" explains the fact that luwak is one of the most expensive coffees on our planet.
Moreover, in captivity, musangs sit in cramped cages and cannot move along branches. coffee tree and choose especially ripe fruits, as their wild counterparts do - on farms, civets are forced to eat what the staff feeds them.
Also, in farm conditions, the diet of musangs differs from the natural one, which can affect the taste of the drink. In addition, methods have been developed to artificially flavor coffee with civet.
Civets are actually predominantly predatory animals and in nature feed on rodents, birds and their eggs, bats and lizards, insects and worms, and sometimes fruits and coffee berries. On farms, musangs are fed not only with coffee berries, but also with chicken.
Moreover, these musangs are active at night, so coffee berries are fed to them in the evening (while hungry after hibernation), and chicken is given at night.
The high cost of luwak is also explained by the fact that civets categorically refuse to breed in hateful captivity, and production can be increased only by capturing more and more new wild animals. Sadness!!!
Moreover, this very “magic enzyme”, which gives coffee beans A “soft flower shade” is produced in the body of a civet for only six months, so on many farms the animals are released for a walk in nature, and then they are caught again so as not to feed 6 months in vain.
The price of luwak coffee (kopi luwak) ranges from 250 to 1200 dollars per kilogram. 
Of course, I haven’t tried this coffee, but I found reviews on the Internet that it has a mild and less tart taste than more familiar coffee varieties, but the price is clearly inflated.
Apparently, this is already a matter of psychology and snobbery - to enjoy not the product, but rather the dollars spent on it and the opportunity to boast to my friends that I drank this most expensive luwak coffee in the world.
There is another high-end coffee also produced by palm civet in southeastern Peru called Terra Nera, which is produced no more than 45 kg per year and is sold only in one of the stores in London, so its cost per kilogram can exceed the terrible figure of 20 thousand dollars.
Ready coffee is divided into 6 classes of roasting, and this must be indicated on the packaging.
The cost of one package starts from 11 thousand dollars. All coffee bags are tied with laces with 24k gold tags, where information about the manufacturer and the degree of roasting is engraved.
It turns out that exactly Terra Nera- the most expensive type of coffee, although Wikipedia considers the rarest elephant coffee to be the most expensive (it is produced in Thailand only 49-50 kg per year!)
And the third grade of coffee is made from animal excrement from elephant droppings!
It's called "Black Tusk" "Black Ivory"(English black ivory - black ivory or black tusk) and is made from Arabica coffee beans passed through the digestive tract of elephants.
This rare coffee is produced in the Golden Triangle, on the border of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. It is also one of the rarest and most expensive coffees in the world - 35 grams will cost gourmets 66 US dollars.
After the coffee beans enter the elephant's stomach, its stomach acid breaks down the protein that makes the coffee bitter. As a result, according to tasters, a soft drink is obtained without the usual bitterness for coffee.
The elephant digests coffee beans from 15 to 30 hours along with its usual food - bananas, sugar cane and other plant components of the elephant's diet. During digestion, the grains are saturated with an earthy and fruity smell, undergoing a natural fermentation process.
Connoisseurs say that coffee made from elephant feces has the aroma of chocolate and flowers, and its taste carries notes of milk chocolate, hazelnuts and a subtle hint of fragrant spices and red coffee berries.
Elephant mahouts' wives collect manure, knead it, and extract whole coffee berries from it. The berries are thoroughly washed and coffee beans are extracted from them, which are subsequently transported to Bangkok for drying.
The price of a kilogram of black ivory coffee exceeds $ 1,100, and one small cup of this elite drink will cost you $ 50-100.
You can taste unique coffee only in Abu Dhabi, at the Anantara Golden Triangle resort and at the luxury hotels of the Anantara chain.
To get one kilogram of Black Ivory, you need to feed the elephant 33 kilograms of fresh coffee berries, and the elephants agree to eat only the best varieties"Arabica" grown at a height of 1.5 km.
Most of the coffee beans simply disappear - chewed or lost in the tall grass after the elephant's feces. Yes, and keeping these large animals is quite expensive.
It's nice that 8% of all Black Ivory sales go to the Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, whose main goal is to preserve the elephant population.
Note. This article uses photographs from open sources on the Internet, all rights belong to their authors, if you think that the publication of any photo violates your rights, please contact me using the form in the section, the photo will be deleted immediately.
Surprisingly, Vietnam is the second largest coffee producer in the world. The first, of course, is Brazil: the unchanging homeland of both coffee and TV shows. Now Vietnam produces about 18% of all coffee in the world. And it all started, of course, with the French, who in 1857 first brought coffee beans to the territory of their colony.
In addition to the fact that there is a lot of coffee here, it is roasted in unusual ways(for example, with sweet syrups), thanks to which it acquires a unique sweet-chocolate taste. And they serve coffee in any cafe: thick and fragrant, with ice and a glass of delicious green tea in addition. Coffee is the best.
Typical Vietnamese coffee shop: price for a cup of coffee is VND 12,000 ($0.5), green tea with ice — free of charge
Ice coffee with condensed milk: an unforgettable taste!
There are two types of grains in Vietnam: robusta and arabica. Robusta is much more popular, you can often find blends based on robusta with a little addition of arabica. In Nha Trang, you can find many shops on the street where the coffee beans you choose will be ground right in front of you and sealed in a bag - in my opinion, a great gift for family and friends!
There are a great many such stores: choose grains (you can mix varieties in any proportions), and they are ground and sealed right in front of you
The most popular brand of coffee in Vietnam can be called Me Trang (read Mechang). Shops of this company are found in tourist Nha Trang on every corner. Mechang coffee is really tasty, but we didn’t notice much difference compared to little-known brands of coffee with.
The most famous brand coffee in Vietnam today – Me Trang
In addition to Robusta and Arabica coffee, such a variety of coffee as Luwak (or Luwak) is found everywhere in Vietnam. These are ordinary coffee beans that have passed through the gastrointestinal tract of one very cute furry animal.
What is this super trendy animal dung luwak coffee in Vietnam? How does it smell, and most importantly, how did people get to this point?
Who is a luwak animal
The official name of this cute babies is musangs or palm martens.
Curious
And infinitely cute
These animals simply adore ripe coffee berries. After they ingest the coffee cherries, the pulp surrounding the coffee beans themselves is digested in their stomach, and the beans are passed out unchanged during a bowel movement (sorry for such details). After that, people collect valuable cargo, wash it and dry it. We hasten to assure that it is expected bad smell after these procedures there is nothing.
Valuable musang excrement before washing
The animal is especially valued for the fact that while in its gastrointestinal tract, coffee beans are fermented in a special way, due to which they lose the inherent bitterness of coffee. And the taste of coffee becomes sour.
Luwak coffee beans after washing
Right on the farm they can fry it
Luwak coffee beans after roasting
There is a legend about how people first learned the unique properties of luwak coffee. A misfortune happened in one poor family: wild masangs (or tsivengs) ate the entire crop of ripe coffee beans for sale. The family was very sad, but then they noticed the excrement of animals, and in them - undigested grains. Out of desperation, these grains were washed, roasted and passed off as ordinary coffee. What was their surprise when the taste of it turned out to be simply delicious!
Today, the production of luwak coffee is a complex and expensive process. Wild animals are caught and settled on the farm. They produce a special enzyme only 6 months of the year, so the rest of the time they are fed ordinary food, usually vegetables and fruits. When the time comes, all other food from their diet is removed and fed exclusively with coffee fruits. Since it is quite expensive to feed the animals, often they are simply caught in the right season, and after the production of coffee they are released to be caught the following year. In addition, breeding them on a farm will not work: these animals do not breed in captivity.
We saw luwak coffee farms in Vietnam and Bali, and it was a pity for the animals everywhere: such living machines operated by man.
Close animal mink on the farm
By the way, we heard that they began to produce coffee from the excrement of an elephant and even birds. The process is approximately the same as with musangs, but the volumes, of course, are many times greater. We have not seen such coffee in Vietnam, but they say that it is as tasty as luwak. If so, maybe soon furry animals will stop being tortured on farms? After all, one elephant can produce 100 times more delicious coffee than a small rodent.
How to brew luwak coffee
Like ordinary coffee, luwak in Europe or Asia is often brewed in Turks (this method is called "oriental").
In Vietnam, they prefer a different method: small metal cups with a sieve and a press, where coffee is poured hot water, and he insists, dripping drop by drop into a glass. We liked this method, we bought ourselves such devices and now we always carry them with us.
How much is vietnamese luwak coffee
Today in Asia, many packs are sold with the image of the musang animal (the one that produces expensive grains) on the package. The cost of such packs starts from $ 2 per 500 gr. But we hasten to assure you that real luwak grains in such packs are no more than 1-5%, and maybe not at all. Often, under the guise of luwak coffee, artificially fermented coffee is sold in packs, which has nothing to do with cute animals.
Usually, luwak coffee is mixed with robusta and sold. The more luwak grains in a pack, the more expensive it will be. The price of pure kopi-luwak coffee in beans in Vietnam is about $ 1000 . And the cost of 1 cup of luwak coffee in Europe can reach $ 90 !
The price of luwak coffee in Russia today reaches 3700 rubles per 100 gr. or 24 "800 per 1 kg. We quote these prices from a specialized site that sells this particular type of coffee in Russia luwak.rf.
Video about real Luwak coffee from Indonesia:
We bought such packs in Vietnam and for only $ 2, most likely they do not contain real luwak coffee beans, but the coffee is unrealistically delicious:
