■오늘의 기사 [0423금요일분] Crappy coffee report: Would you drink joe made from poop?

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Crappy coffee report: Would you drink joe made from poop?

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• by Jessica Ashley, Shine staff, 23 hours ago

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I have friends who will not spoil their coffee with cream or any kind of sweetener. I know people who walk miles out of their way to order a cup they feel is superior to a much-closer Starbucks. One of my best friends taught classes on the sniff and swirl of coffee-tasting that were pickier than many of the moments I've witnessed a sommelier in action. Everyone I know who drinks coffee -- even my once Folger-fied father -- seems to be very particular these days about what's filling their morning mug.

I know this. I may laugh about it. I will probably poke fun at the supreme coffee snobbery as I order my own customized venti drink. But what I did not expect when I read about the strange, disturbing, and possibly stinky fascination with some of the world's most expensive coffee beans, is that some people I know have actually sipped it themselves.

To be fair, these people who have tried the coffee known by connoisseurs as "kopi luwak" and "civet coffee" by media gawkers, are really friends and family of friends. Still, it surprised me that they have gotten their hands on the precious coffee and that they've dared to try it.

Why?

Because this coffee derived from the dung of the civet, a cat-like animal that feasts on coffee cherries and then produces a fermented beans used to produce a brew that is fetching top dollar and much attention in Indonesia and the Phillipines.

You read right. An animal found in Southeast Asia poops out coffee bean remains that harvesters charge hundreds of dollars per pound for people who are either fascinated or have exquisite palates to sample.

As the demand for civet coffee grows, so does the business and the debate about how to keep the process pure. While farms of caged civets who eat coffee cherries and other foods fed directly to them might meet the consumer demand, some people wonder if that detracts from the quality held by a wild harvest. With one report tallying the beans at $227 a pound, the question of how much coffee brewed from poop is really worth is actually a serious one.

At that price point and with such a high eww-factor, why would anyone want to order a cuppa poopa?

Marshall Fuss, the father of Shine editor Sarah Fuss and counsel to the Specialty Coffee Association of America, explained the experience to us.

"Like any coffee, how it tastes will depend on which coffee cherries the animals eat, and how the beans are processed, roasted, and brewed," he said. "But frankly, there is nothing that especially sets it apart from other coffees. The sample I had, which was top quality and freshly roasted, was unremarkable."

As an advocate for the fair treatment of coffee farmers and a person who is clearly very knowledgeable about standards for taste and production, we value his opinion very much. But we could not help but ask Sarah's dad if he could detect any poo-like flavors (not that we know specifically what taste like but we still had to ask).

"None," he said straightforwardly. "Some people detect some extra fermentation."

He then went on to break down the issue that is much bigger than any tee-heeing we did over coffee that's good to the last dropping.

"Kopi luwak is one of those coffees that makes people in the industry roll their eyes when the press writes about it (which they frequently do). It is a miniscule portion of the world's coffee production, and few people will ever come across it. The 'grossest' part of coffee production is the misery in which small coffee farmers are forced to live when consumers support cheap, mass market coffees."

That statement abruptly stopped my giggling and redefined that truly crappy coffee comes at the expense of human beings struggling to make a living, not a slinky forest animal's bodily function.


Now let's get down to (umm) business: Are you bold enough to give civet coffee a try?




[photo credit: Getty Images]

Would you try coffee brewed from animal poop?

• Sure! It's a delicacy.
• Oh, no! Not in a gazillion years.
• Hmmm. Maybe. And I will explain my internal debate in the comments.

See Results »

Would you try coffee brewed from animal poop?

• Sure! It's a delicacy.

   

  8%
• Oh, no! Not in a gazillion years.

   

  84%
• Hmmm. Maybe. And I will explain my internal debate in the comments.

   

  8%

« Vote on this question

Related: fair trade, drinks, delicacy, coffee, civet coffee

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Comments 1-10 of 18

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• 
  Posted by Penny 21 hours ago

  Pretty sure there is enough random bug poop in my regular coffee just like there is in candy bars, peanut butter, etc. I'm good.

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• 
  Posted by G 21 hours ago

  You can keep your "crappy"joe!

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• 
  Posted by Theresa 20 hours ago

  Penny51: FDA approved.. Also human body parts from factory freak accidents.

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• 
  Posted by rconfromthafort 20 hours ago

  that. is. gross.

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• 
  Posted by Pinkwolf 20 hours ago

  Me and my friends are coffee drinkers,, and have always wanted to get together and attempt to buy a small amount of this gold.. but none of us are rich enough yet !

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• 
  Posted by Jamie 19 hours ago

  Actually, it's not made from poop. The beans are cleaned and sanitized (and poo free) before they are ever packaged and sold.

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• 
  Posted by Jimena 15 hours ago

  SPAM alert above me....

  Anyway, I don't want to try that for the exact reasons given in the article. Really? We need to start caging up wild cats now because we feel a need to have fancy coffee? This is as ridiculous as that trend that's being going around in rich people enclaves where they feel a need to show off their wealth by having as many kids as possible to show they can support them all.

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• 
  Posted by Judy 7 hours 25 minutes ago

  Maybe you should research the Civet a little further than what you have done thus far. It is very highly regarded that the Civet is responsible for the SARS outbreak in Asia. They have done very extensive testing and the animal is a carrier of the genetic makeup of the SARS disease. You should rethink your Civet based cup of coffee.

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• 
  Posted by RE 7 hours 10 minutes ago

  why oh why ? cant you just take the cherries the cat creature chooses to eat and find another way to ferment them ? you would be choosing the beans the cat has decided he likes best,why should it have to go through his body and out to get the result you want? just take the cherries and imitate what the cats body would do to them, keep them in a hot place for 2 days or so..then there ya go, no reason to drink poo beans!

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• 
  Posted by Sensi 6 hours 17 minutes ago

  Ewww! And a thousand time EWWwwwww!

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