So here we are. In this section, we will tell you about this prestigious coffee stories. Why is the coffee expensive? What’s the different? How to distinguish the real and the fake one since in Indonesia there are some suppliers blend the luwak coffee with other kind coffee, so it’s not pure 100% luwak coffee/kopi luwak. It’s all need to be clarify since you spend a lot of money to get ORIGANO luwak coffee.
The Luwak
The Luwak also known as the Common Palm Civet or the Toddy Cat, is a cat-sized mammal in the family Viverridae native to South-east Asia and southern China who is the responsible of the fame of the Kopi Luwak or Luwak Coffee. Luwak is the Indonesian name given to the Asian Palm Civet. The major population of this animal habits the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago. “Civet” comes from the Arabic word “zabad”.
The Asian Palm Civet or Luwak averages 3.2 kg (7 lb), has a body length of 53 cm (21 in) and a tail length of 48 cm (19 in). Its long, stocky body is covered with coarse, shaggy hair that is usually grayish in color, with black on its feet, ears and muzzle. Luwak has three rows of black markings on its body. The Luwak is solitary, nocturnal and arboreal. The activity period, from 18:00 to 04:00, is influenced by daylight. Palm Civets become active only after dark and retreat to rest sites just before dawn. They spend the day asleep in a tree hollow. They are territorial. Young Luwaks are born in tree hollows or in boulder crevices. It was pursued by humans, who killed them for damaging orchards and plantations but now, due to the extra incoming the farmers have for selling the Luwak’s feces, it looks like they are the king of the plantations. The Luwak or Asian Palm Civet is a nocturnal omnivore. Its primary food source is pulpy fruits such as coffee berries, manggo, and rambutan.
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What is Kopi Luwak or Luwak Coffee?
Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee. Luwak is a local name of the Asian palm civet in Sumatra.Kopi Luwak or civet coffee or luwak coffee, is one of the world's most expensive and low-production coffee. It is made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet or luwak, then passed through its digestive tract. A luwak 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, widely noted as the most expensive coffee in the world. Kopi Luwak Coffee is the most expensive and rare coffee in the world and only 500 to 700 Kg. are produced per year. The beans are washed out and given only a medium/light roast so as not to destroy the complex flavors that develop through the process.
History
The origin of Kopi Luwak is closely connected with the history of Coffee production in Indonesia. In early 18th century The Dutch established the cash-crop plantations in their colony in Dutch East Indies islands of Java and Sumatra, including Arabica coffee introduced from Yemen. During the era of Cultuurstelsel (1830—1870), the Dutch prohibited the native farmers and native plantation workers to pick coffee fruits for their own use. Yet the native farmers desired to have a taste of the famed coffee beverage. Soon the natives learned that certain species of musang or luwak (Asian Palm Civet) consumed these coffee fruits, yet they left the coffee seeds undigested in their droppings. The natives collect these Luwak's dropping coffee seeds; clean, roast and grind it to make coffee beverage. The fame of aromatic civet coffee spread from locals to Dutch plantation owners and soon become their favorites, yet because of its rarity and unusual process, the civet coffee was expensive even in colonial times.
Taste
Some other words used to describe luwak coffee/kopi luwak by those fortunate enough to try it have been earthy, musty and exotic with syrupy body and smooth flavor.
According to The University of Guelph research about luwak coffee which been compared with a regular coffee bean, they found the unroasted Kopi Luwak coffee beans had more red and yellow tones than a Colombian coffee bean. They also found the Kopi Luwak gourmet coffee bean to have less total protein, less bacterial count, some pitting on the surface of the coffee bean and different compounds. This may explain why the Kopi Luwak coffee is said to be less bitter and have a different aroma than other gourmet coffee.
That’s why the beans are usually given a medium roast to avoid destruction of the complex flavors which have developed through the process. This unique processing is said to give the resulting coffee a rich, heavy flavor with some hints of caramel or chocolate. Some people said, luwak coffee or kopi luwak has a little of everything pleasurable in all coffees, earthy, musty tone, full heaviest body , almost syrupy, and the aroma is very unique.
Luwak coffee tastes more delicious than regular coffee, with lower caffeine and acid levels so that the coffee Luwak coffee is safe for ulcer patients who are allergic to coffee.
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