Thursday 13 October 2011

Visiting a kopi luwak plantation

I always start my day with a warm cuppa coffee, even on the weekends or lazy days that I wake closer to noon.  We have a little nespresso machine at home which makes it real easy to get a cup going even when I’m half awake and groggy in the morning.  I love standing over the machine as coffee gently flows into the cup, sniffing away at the fresh smell of coffee.  

(US$6 for this espresso size cup of kopi luwak)

Herr Scherrer & I were in Bali on a short holiday a few weeks ago and we had the chance to visit a small coffee plantation specializing in the production of kopi luwak, also known as the civet coffee. We also took some photos that I want to share here.

(Civet cat - key to production of kopi luwak)

Believed to be one of the world's most expensive coffee, kopi luwak's manufacturing process is somewhat unique and a little peculiar.  Civet cats are fed ripe coffee cherries and the coffee beans pass through its digestive tract intact and is then defecated.  Thereafter, the beans are collected (yes yes a little yucky, collected from the civet's droppings), thoroughly washed, dried and roasted.  As a result of stomach enzymes of the civet, coffee produced from these beans is believed to have a unique aroma and less bitter. 


(Fresh coffee berries that are fed to the civet cats)



(Various types of coffee that we tried at a little rustic cafe within the
coffee plantation - with ginger, with cocoa, with vanilla, etc)



(Yes, this is poop of the civet cat - you can see intact coffee beans in it)

(Coffee beans collected from the droppings of the civet cat. 
It'll have to be washed & dried before roasting.)


(Trays of coffee beans collected from the droppings of the civet cat. 
The ones towards the right have been washed clean.)

(Coffee beans are roasted over fire)


(Left: Roasted coffee beans are pound to ground using this; Right: Sifting ground coffee power)


(Coffee berries on trees, still green and not ready for picking)


We paid about US$6m for a small espresso cup of this kopi luwak.  There was a little rustic cafe within the plantation.  It was definitely good coffee, but I’m not quite sure if I would be able to tell the difference in a taste-test.  We had an interesting time though walking through the small plantation and snapping photos.


(A little rustic cafe serving kopi luwak within the plantation)

Within the same plantation we also saw them growing/producing cocoa, vanilla & cinnamon - all useful baking ingredients!

(Cocoa plant & fruit)

(Left: Vanilla pods; Right: Cinnamon tree bark)



7 comments:

  1. Wow..Kopi Luwak itself is not a favorite coffee in my country (Indonesia). Some people choose Arabica or Robusta because of the taste.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Nova, that's interesting to know. I haven't had another cup of kopi luwak since Bali. Guess its also not my top choice! =P

    ReplyDelete
  3. What was the name of the plantation- I'm in Bali right now and would love to visit this place. THanks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Here you go:
    Bali Pulina Agro Tourism
    Address: Pujung Kelod Tegallalang, Gianyar
    Phone: +62 81558025119
    Email: bali_pulina@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you so much- I will visit this place for sure!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I went to Vietnam two years ago and I find out they producing Kopi Luwak. They Called Weasel Kopi Luwak, and this coffee was really delicious. Owner has told me that a small company sells this coffee in whole Europe. I looking forward to try Kopi Luwak from Indonesia.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I found a web page of this company
    http://weaselcoffee.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete

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