For generations, coffee has been an essential part of many people’s lives. It’s a warm, thick beverage that gives us a caffeine kick to go through the day. But do you know what a coffee cat is? This phrase may sound unusual, but it’s actually an important step in the preparation of Kopi Luwak, one of the priciest coffees in the world.
The coffee called Kopi Luwak is made from the Asian palm civet, a little feline-like animal. The coffee cherries that the civet eats are digested by it and excreted in its feces. Kopi Luwak coffee is made by gathering, carefully washing, and roasting these coffee beans.
You may be asking why Kopi Luwak coffee is so pricey at this point. The procedure for extracting the coffee beans from the cat’s waste is, however, very labor- and time-intensive. Because the civet exclusively consumes particular varieties of coffee cherries, it is also a rare commodity. Coffee lovers are supposed to prize the distinctive, smooth flavor that the civet’s distinctive digestive system is said to provide to the coffee.
Despite being widely consumed, Kopi Luwak coffee has recently become the subject of debate. Concerns concerning the treatment of the civets employed in the manufacturing of coffee have been expressed by numerous animal rights organizations. Some farms have come under fire for mistreating their livestock and confining them to tiny, claustrophobic cages. As a result, many coffee lovers are turning away from Kopi Luwak coffee and looking for more moral and environmentally friendly alternatives.
One widespread misunderstanding regarding Kopi Luwak coffee is that it is produced with cat waste. Although the Asian palm civet is frequently compared to a cat, its closer kin is the mongoose. So no, cat excrement is not used to make Kopi Luwak coffee.
Nescafe coffee is another brand that has been linked to the use of animal waste in its production. This is untrue, though. Like other instant coffees, Nescafe coffee is prepared from a combination of roasted coffee beans and water.
The production of Kopi Luwak, one of the priciest and most contentious coffees in the world, is significantly influenced by coffee cats. Even though this coffee may have a distinctive flavor profile, it’s crucial to take its production practices’ ethical ramifications into account. Regardless of whether you enjoy coffee or not, it’s important to know where the things we use come from.
Kopi luwak is not a component of any Starbucks coffee products. In 2008, the business ceased selling kopi luwak because of ethics and concerns about animal welfare. Since then, Starbucks has switched its emphasis to providing its customers with coffee beans that are sourced ethically.