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Paradoxurus sp.
A civet eats the berries for their fleshy pulp. In its stomach, proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids. Passing through a civet's intestines the beans are then defecated, keeping their shape. After gathering, thorough washing, sun drying, light roasting and brewing, these beans yield an aromatic coffee with much less bitterness.Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, fetching up to $500/kg.
tropical rainforest
I spotted this along the road in Cat Tien National Park. I have had kopi luwak before but have never seen it actually in the wild. I'm not sure which species of civet this is from. I'm adding the link to my other spotting. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/644...
Spotted on Feb 7, 2012
Submitted on Apr 1, 2012
21 Comments
a friendly remainder ? :-[)
Thanks Daniele, I thought I had read that somewhere.
Coffea arabica is indigenous to Ethiopia as well.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.11...
I always thought coffee was native to Ethiopia but I guess I was wrong. Where is the Jacu coffee from?
Actually coffee is only indigenous to Yemen in the Middle East. The British colonized Yemen (or Aden as it was then called) & regulated its production & the price of the beans. It spread around the globe after some plants were smuggled out. We have a pack of Jacu Bird coffee beans in the freezer - similar process but involving a bird!
I don't know about any Asian species of coffee. The coffee that the civets are eating are most of the time growing on coffee plantations. That's were it started, wasn't any native species. As for this kopi luwak I found in Vietnam, it was at a national park, but the land was cultivated in the past and it's possible the coffee bushes are just leftovers from that time. Thanks for the links and the info Craig. You're in Singapore now, you should be able to find some kopi luwak around.
A bit of a gourmet ice cream cone you've got there Dan! I'm curious about the Civet coffee thing because I didn't think there were Coffea that were native to Asia. This piece from Kew says 'in total, there are 103 coffee species, which occur naturally in Africa, Madagascar, Comoros, and the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and Réunion'
http://www.kew.org/plants-fungi/Coffea-a...
Wikipedia on the other hand says 'They are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. '
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffea
I can't find any reference to any Asian species (quick search mind) Does anyone know of any?
Ohh!
That sounds really interesting. You'll have to tell me how they taste.
You're welcome Dan! Now I'm remember about 'nut' from Artocarpus elastica trees, they have been eaten by (maybe) Paradoxurus and defecated as well. People usually collect the seed from feces, then fry the seed. I'm not try yet, but they tell me its delicious. I don't know! Want to search it on my next holidays to hometown!
@ Leuba, can never have enough kopi luwak!
@Karen, wow, I've never heard of that before. I discovered some other 'animal' coffees while researching kopi luwak last year and read about bat coffee and monkey coffee (where the fruit is just eaten and the seeds spit out, not digested) but I never heard of the bird coffee. You have to get a grinder and tell me how it is.
@Thanks achmmad!
more Kopi Luwak - Dan, you must have a year's supply by now !! - great spotting -enjoy !
We have been given a pack of Jacu bird coffee beans from Brazil - similar scenario but predigested by a bird. We don't have a grinder so we haven't tasted them yet!
You got it Dan! Excellent :D
@Daniele, I'm not sure what local species of coffee would have been in the area before it was produced commercially. It seems likely that the civets would eat the beans of any coffee species, but I don't know for sure.
@Nopayanhnah, I hear you. I would not pay that for a coffee either. I've been lucky to have kopi luwak sent to me by a friend and been able to go cheaper countries to buy it.
I like coffee but no way would I pay (a lot) for that!
In this area, the beans are normally arabica.
I was just wondering what the local species of Coffea might be in this area before Coffea arabica and robusta were introduced, and whether they are part of the civet cats' normal diet. Now make sure you wash those well before making this cappuccino :-)
Hahaha! Coming right up Daniele! It's possible they are something else, but they do look like coffee beans to me, not sure which species of coffee though.
@Carol, thanks, no I don't think we are weird. It's interesting to post different spottings sometimes.
I am glad I am not the only one taking photos of such things. HA! I have a great example of berries in a very artistic formation. R we weird? Awesome! HA!
That'll be a cappuccino please :-) Do you think the berries are Coffea arabica or something else here?