Elite coffee made from excrement. An original way to obtain “elephant coffee”

Today we will talk about one very popular and, at the same time, rare drink. We're talking about Luwak, aka coffee made from animal feces from Vietnam. It sounds terrible, you will agree. However, for this exquisite drink, many coffee connoisseurs from different corners world are ready to shell out fabulous money. But is there Luwak coffee in Vietnam (in particular, in Nha Trang)? Where and at what price can you buy it? And in general, is it worth it? In general, let's figure it out.

A small educational program

Let's start with what's so special about Luwak coffee and why is there so much buzz around it? And it’s all in the production process, so to speak. The fact is that this coffee is “made elite” by small predatory animals - musangs (they are also civets, they are also palm martens). In the wild, this animal eats the ripest coffee beans. It turned out that in the stomach of the musang coffee beans are cleaned of all unnecessary things, saturated with a special enzyme and the result is the most elite and expensive coffee beans in the world. Actually, the product of the coffee life of this little animal is collected, the beans are selected, washed, dried, fried and sold at a high price. Coffee gourmets claim that the coffee “produced” by musang is devoid of unpleasant bitterness and has a pleasant caramel flavor. In fact, their words are not without truth. Luwak coffee is really different from most varieties, only if you don't drink it as sweet as the Vietnamese do. Since with so much condensed milk, even tar and bitumen will be quite a tolerable delicacy.

Without proper processing, Luwak coffee does not look very presentable.

Many people wonder: What kind of perverted mind do you have to have to think of brewing cocoa in a Turk.... animal waste products? Indeed, someone thought of this. But if the history of Kopi Luwak does not lie, one farmer decided to make coffee “after the musangs”. It so happened that his entire harvest was destroyed by these same animals. In order not to go broke, the enterprising man collected what was left after the civet feast, washed it, fried it and packaged it in bags. As a result, the entire harvest was sold, and satisfied customers came for more. They really liked the new type of coffee.

Why so expensive

Perhaps the main reason for the popularity of Luwak coffee is the title of the most expensive coffee in the world. Indeed, in Europe and the USA, the retail price of Luwak coffee can reach $100-$150 per 100 grams. In Asia, of course, prices are more affordable, but still Luwak is noticeably more expensive than any other type of coffee. The main reason for the high cost is the way Luwak coffee is made. The most valuable coffee is the one “prepared” by wild civets. The animals are nocturnal and it is at night that they make their raids on coffee plantations, choosing the ripest and most delicious beans. And in the morning, farmers walk around their properties, collecting what is left after the musangs. All this is done by hand, so the process is really labor-intensive and painstaking. In addition, the necessary enzyme is secreted in the stomach of animals only 6 months a year. Accordingly, the plantations are “idle” for half of the year. This is, in fact, the main reason why you can pay 10-20 times more for a cup of Luwak coffee than for an espresso at the nearest coffee shop.

And this is what the producers of the most expensive coffee in the world actually look like

Of course, enterprising Asians figured out how to set up production elite coffee to the stream. To do this, musangs are caught in huge numbers, sit in cages and feed coffee beans. So it’s easier to collect the finished product, and there is no special dependence on animals. In general, it’s like a factory for the production of exclusive coffee.

Luwak in Vietnam

First of all, you need to understand that the birthplace of Luwak is Indonesia. Also important is the fact that good coffee in Vietnam, in principle, quite little. Yes, yes, this is a country that ranks second in the world in coffee exports, but practically does not know how to prepare it. The fact is that the culture of drinking this tonic drink was actually brought here by the French during the colonial period. They brought it in, but failed to vaccinate it properly. Therefore, what the Vietnamese themselves drink will cause gastronomic shock and horror for a real coffee gourmet: coffee concentrate from a plastic bottle with a huge amount condensed milk and technical ice from a bucket. Of course, there are places where they make pretty good coffee. However, in general, this is far from a country of coffee aesthetes. Be that as it may, we have prepared an article on the topic, so if you are planning to take aromatic grains to your homeland, we recommend that you read it. But let's get back to Luwak.

As you understand, gourmet coffee will not be served in such establishments

Now comes the moment of revelation! The fact is that there is practically no luwak in Vietnam. Exactly. 99.9% of what is sold in stores in packages labeled Kopi Luwak is either fake or a mixture. By blend we mean coffee consisting of Luwak, Arabica, Robusta, and anything else. At the same time, the percentage of precious coffee content in best case scenario– 30 out of 100. You also need to understand that we are not talking about any of the selected, ripest coffee beans for musangs. The animals eat everything they give, and all year round, which also affects the quality of the final product. So, if you want to try real expensive Kopi Luwak coffee, produced according to all the rules and canons of this exquisite drink, you don’t need to go to Vietnam. Alas, this is true. Once you accept this fact, you will not be surprised why Luwak coffee in Nha Trang costs $20-$30 per kilogram. And don’t think that if you bought it at a nearby store for $70 kg, then this is just that real luwak.

In Nha Trang, almost every pack of coffee has a musang painted on it.

The dark side of Vietnamese luwak

And the dark side of Vietnamese Luwak coffee lies in the conditions in which these same musangs are kept on farms. We recommend that impressionable animal lovers read no further. So, they keep the animals on farms in very cramped cages, completely making it impossible for them to move normally. This, by the way, is another reason for the low quality of Vietnamese luwak. In addition, civets in Vietnam are not fed with ripe and selected grains. Hungry animals have to eat everything in order not to die of hunger. It is also important to understand that these animals do not reproduce in captivity, so farms have to constantly catch wild specimens. Needless to say, a wild animal will not live long in such cramped conditions. The fact is that most Vietnamese treat animals quite consummately, so civets in the process of producing local luwak are only consumables. Well, what can I say, the demand for cheap Vietnamese “leftist” is growing, new farms are opening, thousands of new animals are being caught. Here are a couple of photos for you.

Many may object, they say, we were on coffee plantations, we were taken there on an excursion, these animals live normally. Firstly, there is no need to compare the excursion and industrial production. Secondly, in principle there should be no farms with musangs. Producing Luwak in this way automatically reduces its value and the very fact of the existence of this variety becomes almost meaningless. Just think about it, you are not drinking rare coffee, hand-picked after the nightly arrival of predatory animals. You drink coffee selected from the excrement of half-dead animals sitting in a cage. Therefore, if you decide to buy Luwak coffee from Vietnam, then be prepared to simply overpay for regular Arabica or Robusta.

Oh yes, one more moment. If you think that the production of tourist luwak (there is no other way to call it) is worth it, then please close your browser tab. This site was not created for you. And our team has no desire to share information with you. We hope that this article will discourage you from buying Vietnamese luwak at least a dozen or so guests of Vietnam. This country has a lot of wonderful things, but definitely not this “elite” type of coffee. But we would still recommend buying Luwak coffee in Indonesia. There they produce it more often correctly.

Vietnam is the second largest coffee producer in the world, accounting for 18%. But the coffee made from animal feces from Vietnam is most famous.

It is nocturnal and sleeps during the day, choosing secluded places, such as tree hollows. By the way, he climbs trees very well. There are 30 subspecies of this musang.

The palm marten is omnivorous; coffee is not its main food. The animal's diet includes various other fruits, as well as insects, worms, bird eggs and even small animals.

The enzymes that give coffee beans processed in the stomach their unique taste are produced only six months a year.

Luwak coffee

This type of coffee bears this name in Indonesia, where it is also produced. In Vietnam it is called "chon". Coffee made from animal feces from Vietnam became business card countries.

The fact that it was here that the business was put on stream did not reduce the price of the product, but increased the production of expensive grains due to the following:

• Special farms have been created where musangs are kept.
• The animals are specially caught precisely at the time when they produce the necessary enzymes.
• During the corresponding period, the palm marten is fed exclusively with the fruits of the coffee tree.

After the enzyme production period has passed, the animals are released into the wild. At this time, excursions are organized for tourists who are in the country to the plantation. And they can see the entire process of producing unique coffee.

The cost of a product consists of several factors:

1. Farmers hand-collect the excrement produced by the musangs after they ingest the coffee fruits.
2. After collection, everything needs to be properly processed and dried, and this is also done manually.
3. The ability to obtain grains during a limited period of the year also increases the price of the product.

On average, luwak in Europe costs $150 per 100 grams. This variety is often mixed with other coffee beans, which gives the drink an even richer aroma and taste.

Coffee is the most sold product after oil. There are coffee lovers in every home. Russia is among the top ten largest coffee lovers. Almost everyone loves coffee, but not everyone knows that the most expensive and most difficult, elite and prestigious is Kopi Luwak coffee (coffee made from excrement). This is a unique variety of coffee No. 1.

Gourmets perceive in it an extraordinary soft taste caramel with the most delicate aroma dark chocolate and vanilla with a lasting pleasant aftertaste. One cup of coffee can cost up to $90 in Europe. This probably adds a special charm to the excellent taste.

The technology of its preparation will shock anyone. Exclusive coffee for a narrow circle is obtained in the most extreme way - this coffee is not for the faint of heart. Preparation method aromatic coffee different from the traditional one. This unique, most expensive type of coffee is chosen from the droppings (excrement, in simple terms - ordinary poop) of animals.

Soft to the touch and fluffy wild animals, distant relatives of the Rikki-Tikki-Tavi mongoose, resembling a cat with a big nose - the Asian palm civet (civet, luwak, musang or Chinese badger) are big fans of coffee berries. Moving from one tree to another, animals absorb the ripest and largest coffee berries in huge quantities.

Ripe coffee beans are red in color and resemble the fruits of a bay tree. During the day, one voracious animal can swallow up to 1 kg of coffee beans, from which only 50 grams of undigested coffee beans can then be picked out.

Coffee beans treated with gastric juice enzymes and civet: - dried, cleaned and peeled, washed thoroughly, dried again, then lightly and carefully roasted at a certain temperature. Exact recipe roasting is kept secret.

Outlandish grains obtained in such a way in the usual way can only be obtained for 6 months of the year, and the rest of the time animals do not produce the enzyme that gives coffee its unique aroma. Grains obtained from males have a greater and more pleasant aroma. A high standard is applied to defects appearance coffee beans, beans undergo up to 15 degrees of sorting.

The most expensive Kopi Luwak coffee with a unique aroma is produced in Indonesia in a special microclimate on the island of Java and earn huge money from it.

Some researchers tried to get the same coffee in Ethiopia, simulating the natural process, since coffee trees grow there and civets live there. According to the tasters, Ethiopian coffee is inferior in taste to the original.

The most expensive coffee in Vietnam is called Chon, this is the most expensive and unusual coffee.

The preparation technology is as complex as in Indonesia; coffee beans are used, processed by the stomach of an amazing animal. But the locals in Vietnam do not prepare coffee in a copper Turk or Jazz, but in a drip filter right above the cup.

The taste, aroma and thickness of coffee differs significantly from what Europeans are accustomed to. Vietnamese coffee is very thick, has a very rich aroma and a transparent dark color.

On the island of Bali, artificial small farms have been organized to produce delicacies for extreme sports enthusiasts. Luwak are kept in captivity, fed coffee berries and offer tourists a detailed look at the process of producing the most expensive coffee in the world, and if desired, even personally participate.

All work has not yet been mechanized and is performed manually. Lovers of curiosities with lots of cabbage love show-offs. Most fans of the special aromatic Luwak coffee with a delicate caramel taste are in Japan.

Huge profits from the sale of “Luvak coffee” inspired the hardworking, enterprising Thais to organize coffee production using the stomach of elephants. Therefore, a farm-zoo was created in the north of Thailand. The stomachs of a herd of 20 elephants process coffee beans for the elite Black Ivory Coffee (Black Tusk or Black Ivory).

The stomach of an elephant is many times larger than the stomach of the small predatory animal luwak (aka mussang). Coffee beans stay in the elephant’s stomach for more than a day in the vicinity of a special diet of vegetables, bananas and sugar cane. During this time, coffee beans are saturated with fruit and vegetable aroma, processed by gastric juice, change their chemical composition and are excreted naturally outward, i.e. in the form of poop)

Since elephants are vegetarians, extreme vegans should give a clear preference to Black Ivory over civet coffee. To get 1 kg of coffee, you need to feed the animal 33 kg of selected Thai Arabika beans, hand-picked on highland coffee plantations.

Veterinarians periodically check the level of caffeine in the elephant's blood. Therefore, the cost of coffee for the elite rises to $1,100 per kg. Exclusive coffee is offered only in expensive Anantare hotels in the Maldives and in the Golden Triangle Nature Reserve between Burma, Laos and Thailand. The cost of one cup of coffee is only $50. The new variety of exclusive, original coffee is sold in very limited quantities - only 60 kg were offered for sale last year. It took $300,000 to develop a new type of coffee.

Coffee lovers, having tried a new variety of coffee, celebrate Black Ivari unusual taste, for which it is difficult to find epithets - it has a unique pleasant taste and an incomparable aroma.

In Russia, the first coffee house was opened in 1740 by order of Empress Anna Ioannovna. She was a big coffee lover. So Russian craftsmen should develop and put into production the production of coffee processed with Burenka. Its productivity with a constant appetite can compete with elephants, and the new coffee would be called Copi Burenka (or in our language: Burenka Coffee). And then you see, the name of the pioneer would be added to history, and even today the export of a new type of elite coffee would be added to the export of oil and gas.

If you, creaking your heart, gave your entire monthly salary as a teacher in Moscow for a package of coffee, then hold your breath and prepare yourself a cup, carefully preserving the foam while brewing, which will fully reveal everything from the first sip taste qualities, divine aroma and will make you want to drink everything to the end. Such delicacies greatly arouse curiosity, but sometimes reduce appetite, causing certain associations. For reference: Coffee from droppings can be different varieties. Definitely considered the most expensive original coffee made from Luwak dung, followed by coffee made from elephant dung. In third place is coffee made from monkeys!

And now we are trying to guess who is in fourth place? Enterprising farmers from the city of Minneapolis (Minnesota) have started producing coffee from cat droppings. And according to its manufacturers, anyone who has not tried this coffee has not tasted coffee at all!

Coffee is aromatic, invigorating, with a unique chocolate taste a drink loved by millions. He came to us from Ethiopia, where he acquired his fans 1000 years ago.

In 1511, coffee was declared a "sacred drink" by the Ottoman Empire. The brilliant German composer John Sebastian Bach wrote the “Coffee Cantata”, Catherine the Great was a fan of the “black drink”. It was she who first began to use “coffee scrub”, mixing coffee grounds with soap and cleansing the face and body with the resulting mixture.

Once upon a time, coffee beans were a scarce commodity and were 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- not a cheap product. For example, the Arabian coffee tree or Arabica bears fruit from which the most expensive varieties of coffee in the world are obtained - from 250 to 500 dollars per kg. Various technologies are used in their production, but the main point is that all actions are performed manually - removing coffee beans from trees, sorting, roasting, packaging. If machines are involved in the process, then the type of coffee immediately drops in price.

But there are several varieties of coffee, the production of which uses exclusive, completely unique technologies, and 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 type of 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 for its production is unique.

Small animals, musangs, that inhabit the entire southern and Southeast Asia, eat ripe fruits coffee trees. The grains are not completely digested and are excreted along with animal excrement. People collect musang dung, pick out the undigested coffee beans, wash them thoroughly, dry them in the sun, then grind them and sell them for $50 a cup. ready drink.

It is extremely soft 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 regular coffee bitterness. The fermentation process involves civet, a special substance that musangs use to mark their territory. It gives the grains a pleasant musky smell. This is how, with the help of a natural laboratory - the digestive tract of small animals - they get the most expensive coffee on Earth.

It is interesting that if previously the Kopi Luwak variety was a piece product, in recent years its production has been put on stream in Indonesia, South India and the Philippines. How? Very simple. In these countries, fur farms have been built where musangs are kept. They are fed coffee beans, and then the whole process is repeated. Thus, several hundred kg of coffee of this type began to be produced per year. Of course, this immediately affected the price of the goods, which dropped to $350-400 per kg. Still a lot!

But anyway 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, animals cannot run or jump, while in freedom they move a lot and instinctively choose the best, ripe coffee beans. All these factors influence the final taste and aroma of the drink.

"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 per kg!

The technology for producing “Black Tusk” is very painstaking: first, the elephants are fed several tens of kg of Arabica beans mixed with other elephant food - bananas, fruits, grass. For more than a day, the elephant digests everything it eats, while the coffee beans are only partially digested: stomach acid destroys a special protein that is responsible for the bitterness of coffee. Grains in an elephant's digestive tract undergo a process natural fermentation, filled with earthy and fruity aroma.

After this, they leave the body along with feces. Workers collect elephant dung and carefully sort through it with their hands, finding Arabica beans, which they then wash, dry and grind. This coffee is used to make an excellent drink that is different delicate taste without bitterness, light fruity aroma.

“Black ivory” is produced only in Thailand, and you can try it only in 4 hotels in the Maldives and at the Anantara Golden Triangle resort, which is located on the border of 3 countries - Laos, Myanmar and Thailand ( hence 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, 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, and some are damaged too much during digestion. In total, strictly 50 kg of this elite variety goes on sale per year.

It is interesting that a significant part of the funds raised from the sale of “Black Ivory” goes to charitable purposes - treating elephants and helping the families of mahouts.

"Terra Nera"

The cost of this elite type of coffee is simply off the charts - more than $20,000 per 1 kg! “Terra Nera” is the most expensive coffee in the world; so far you can’t find more expensive than this brand on the shelves. And again, the main participants in its production are small animals called palm civets, by the way, they are relatives of the musangs, which are used to obtain the Kopi Luwak coffee variety.

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, ripe Uchunari Arabica cherries are fed to palm civets. The animals partially digest coffee beans, depriving them of bitterness during natural fermentation and imparting special taste. These grains are then excreted along with animal excrement. They are carefully sorted, washed, dried, and then ground. Brewed Terra Nera coffee has a very rich aroma of cocoa and hazelnuts and an excellent taste, which gourmet tasters highly appreciate.

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 500 grams in a luxurious bag made 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 tag is engraved with the manufacturer's initials, as well as the degree of roasting of the coffee beans (can be from zero to six degrees). At the buyer's request, his name can be engraved on the tag (this service is included in the price of the product).

What other expensive types of coffee are there?

Other types of coffee are produced in the usual way, that is, without the participation of animals. Therefore, their cost is significantly lower than the 3 varieties of the most expensive coffee in the world listed above.

Esmeralda ranks first in price and quality among traditionally produced coffee varieties ( original name– Hacienda La Esmeralda). It is produced on a farm in Panama (South America), on the slope of Mount Baru, according to secret recipe. The work is carried out partly manually (collecting, sorting grains), and partly mechanically (drying). The result is an elite variety that combines chocolate, fruit and spicy notes. Hacienda La Esmeralda has been repeatedly recognized as the most exquisite drink in the world, receiving various prizes at International competitions. Its price is up to $400 per 1 kg.

"Saint Helena" or St. Helena Coffee is another elite variety of coffee, which is produced on the volcanic island of the same name in the Atlantic Ocean. Its cost reaches $200 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. The small town of Coban is home to one of the world's most famous coffee plantations. The local climate is very conducive to growing coffee beans. High Quality, which, combined with a special production technology, makes it possible to obtain a unique type of coffee worth $150 per 1 kg.

In Brazil, the Fazenda Santa Ines coffee variety is grown, 1 kg of which costs at least $100.

Blue Mountain, which is produced in Jamaica, costs about the same. 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 around $80 per kg.

The “cheapest” on our list are Starbucks Rwanda Blue Bourbon (Republic of Rwanda in East Africa) and Yauco Selecto AA Coffee (Puerto Rico island in the Caribbean) at a price of only $50 per 1 kg.

Coffee has never been a cheap product. History remembers the times when coffee beans were worth their weight in gold. And this is not an exaggeration.

The Europeans, having found a “gold mine”, began from the middle of the 18th century, plantations with coffee trees were actively developed all over the world, where only the climate allowed them to do this: in Colombia and Mexico, India and Indonesia.

Coffee became cheaper, but still brought enormous profits to those in whose hands were its production and sales. You can read about how and where coffee is grown in the world.

Even nowadays there are varieties that are available to only a few due to their high cost. We are no longer talking about coffee as such, but about the exclusivity of certain types of raw materials, in unusual ways its receipt and processing and the associated significant expenses.

A list of all coffee varieties with names and their characteristics can be found in the article.

You can find a review of the most expensive tea in the world.

The world's most expensive coffee made from dung

Most of the most expensive varieties of coffee in the world are obtained by exploiting “our little brothers.” And you can’t even ask for better assistants.

The fact is that animals and birds are endowed by nature with amazing extrasensory perception, which tells them which coffee fruits are the ripest and tastiest, and which ones are best ignored.

Human assistants include lemurs in Bali, monkeys in Indonesia, elephants in Thailand, bats in Costa Rica.

The most famous among these varieties is Indonesian coffee., which is called Kopi Luwak. A person's "partner" in this case- the musang animal, or Malayan palm marten, lives in Southeast and South Asia.

Gourmets consider this type of coffee to be the drink of kings, although they know very well what it is made from - excrement.

However, this is not entirely true. They are made, of course, from coffee beans, but only after they are eaten by a cute animal, they go on a journey through his digestive system and will again find themselves outside to undergo the necessary “sanitation” in skillful human hands.

Coffee beans are the favorite food of musangs. They will never eat “greens”; they will choose the ripest and most delicious fruits. They will be found on the tree and under it - at least a kilogram in one day.

Scientists have found that out of this total amount of coffee beans, only 5 percent remain undigested, and they leave the animal’s body safe and sound.

However, being inside the animal, they manage to pass treatment with gastric juice and an odorous substance called civet. Both are good for the grains.

They are thoroughly washed, dried, and fried. Manufacturers guarantee 100% purity and safety finished product, although details of raw material processing are kept secret.

Those who have tried this coffee note the whole bouquet exquisite tastes– vanilla, dark chocolate and caramel.

Analogues of this drink, which are produced in Ethiopia, according to tasters, are significantly inferior in quality and cannot be considered a worthy replacement Indonesian Kopi Luwak.

The famous coffee from Indonesia is not a cheap pleasure. On average 25-35 thousand rubles. costs one kilogram of roasted beans.

Chon from Vietnam

Chon coffee from Vietnam is produced in almost the same way as Indonesian Kopi Luwak. Coffee beans are eaten by Asian palm martens.

It is believed that, having been in the body of this animal, the grains acquire healing properties, so the cup Chon coffee– it’s not only tasty, but also healthy.

The drink is surprising aromas of hot chocolate, cocoa, vanilla and caramel. It has a persistent, very pleasant aftertaste.

Interestingly, the Vietnamese method of preparing coffee differs significantly from the generally accepted one. It is never cooked in Turk.

Condensed milk is poured into the bottom of the mug, then a device called a “fin” (metal filter) is installed. Pour ground grains into it (the grind should be coarse), press it with a press and pour boiling water.

The drink is strong and rich. There is also summer recipe, in which I use ice instead of condensed milk, and a tall transparent glass instead of a coffee mug. An excellent drink in hot climates.

The price of the Chon variety per kilogram is 150-250 dollars. There are offers on the Internet to purchase a 500-gram package for 2,700 rubles.

This brand belongs to Thailand. IN technological process premium coffee preparation included... elephant feces.

If, having learned about this, someone exclaims: “Never in my life will I taste coffee that remembers what elephant dung is,” you will have to agree with this.

Yes, never most people on the planet have not tried and will not try Black Ivory. And not because everyone is so squeamish.

The fact is that only 50 kilograms of these grains go on sale per year, and they are sold only in a few cities in Thailand. A drop in the sea. To get a kilogram of finished product, an elephant must eat 35 kg of the best coffee beans.

While in the giant’s stomach, the “surviving” grains completely lose their bitterness, but are saturated with the aromas of everything that he ate with pleasure - bananas and others. tropical fruits, sugar cane.

Costs an elite Black Ivory – 75 thousand rubles. per kilogram roasted grains.

Terra Nera

Terra Nera is the most expensive existing coffee brand. The price per kilogram can exceed 20 thousand dollars.

Moreover, in this case, the buyer overpays not only for exotic “excrement”, but also for luxurious packaging.

Coffee of this variety (by the way, it is produced even less than Black Ivory, only 45 kg per year) is sold in just one London store in a silver paper bag, which reliably preserves the aroma of the beans.

The packaging is protected from unauthorized access by a special valve and tied with a ribbon with a gold tag. If the buyer wants, his name will be engraved on the tag.

Full participants in the coffee production process are palm civets (closest relatives of musangs), living in the southeast of Peru.

Classic Arabica, having been in the stomach of these animals, acquires hazelnut and cocoa aromas and, according to experienced tasters, has a truly great taste.

Other types of coffee made from animal feces and more

And briefly about some others expensive varieties. Coffee Bat(the name speaks for itself) are obtained in Costa Rica with the help of this animal.

The animal cannot swallow coffee beans whole, but bite them with sharp teeth and suck out the juice - please! It turns out that the grains begin to dry out right on the tree. The work begun by the bats is completed by the hot tropical sun.

These grains are collected, processed and prepared by people in a very tasty coffee, which is worth 30 thousand rubles. per kilogram.

Blue Mountain (translated as Blue Mountain) is obtained in Jamaica traditional way, without the participation of animals and birds. The quality of the raw materials here is influenced by a combination of various natural factors: the growth of coffee trees at high altitudes, the wind blowing from the sea, the special composition of the soil.

Tasters note in this type of coffee harmonious combination three tastes - bitterness, sweetness and sourness. This variety also surprises with the aroma of fresh nectarines.

Buying Blue Mountain is difficult - 85 percent of its coffee is sent to Japan, where the drink is very popular. The cost of a kilogram of grains is 27 thousand rubles.

The Jacu bird in Brazil is involved in the creation of a coffee variety called Jacu Bird. For a very long time in the southeast of the country, the bird was considered a pest and exterminated.

This continued until one local farmer at the end of the last century realized to use bird droppings just as in other countries they use the excrement of some animals.

Coffee obtained from such unusual raw materials surprises with its flavor notes: pineapple and coconut milk. A kilogram of grains is estimated at 28 thousand rubles.

It is difficult to say which of the listed types of coffee tastes better and more justifies the high price they ask for it.

It’s rare that someone gets to try all the exotic species.. In addition, there is always a great danger of purchasing a fake.

If a person has the opportunity to visit different parts Svetlana as a tourist or on official business, you should definitely try the coffee there - it most closely matches the characteristics of the variety and is much cheaper.