September 18, 2019
One of Bali's most popular tourist experiences is visiting Luwak coffee production centers. Produced through the digestive system of the luwak, a cat-like animal, this coffee is known as one of the most expensive coffees in the world. So, what makes a coffee so special and expensive?
The story begins with the luwak eating coffee cherries. As the coffee beans inside the fruit pass through the animal's digestive system, they undergo a natural fermentation process. The beans, excreted with the feces, are then collected, carefully cleaned, dried, and roasted.
It is said that this unusual production process also alters the coffee's flavor. The result is a coffee with a milder aroma and a smoother taste. This unique production method is precisely the story that makes Luwak coffee one of the most special and expensive coffees in the world.
Luwak coffee is sold in both ground and whole-bean forms. An 80-gram bag costs around 320,000 IDR, which is roughly 20 Euros. A single cup costs about 50,000 IDR, or 3.5 Euros. The price per kilogram can go up to 700 dollars.
So, does a coffee this expensive actually taste as unique as its price tag?
During our visit, we tasted sixteen different beverages—eight teas and eight coffees.
Bali coffee, with its grounds at the bottom, resembles Turkish coffee, but it has a lighter and less intense flavor. Coffee made with coconut milk stands out with its light color and distinct aroma. While vanilla coffee is prominent for its fragrance, Ginseng coffee leaves an unusual taste reminiscent of tahini. Among the teas were a lemon-flavored herbal tea and a sweet tea made from mangosteen, reminiscent of red plum.
The interesting part was that Luwak coffee was not included in this tasting menu.
The reason is quite simple: the coffee is so expensive that it is not offered as a complimentary tasting sample.
However, there is another side to the story of Luwak coffee that is not immediately visible at first glance.
A luwak is usually kept in a cage to be shown to visitors. Although it is claimed that the remaining animals live freely in their natural environment, it is well known that many luwaks are kept on farms and in small cages to increase coffee production.
This situation does not merely restrict the animals' freedom. Disruptions to their natural diet, malnutrition, and various health problems are among the most criticized aspects of this production method.
Furthermore, the global popularity Luwak coffee has gained has led to the emergence of other products passed through the digestive systems of different animals. Attempts to produce coffee from elephant, monkey, and bird droppings are a direct result of this trend.
Luwak coffee production centers aimed at tourists are quite common in Bali. However, in some of these places, how the animals behind the coffee production actually live tells a very different story from the small cage visible to visitors.
Meaning, drinking a cup of Luwak coffee doesn't just mean trying one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Knowingly or unknowingly, it can also mean supporting the production system behind it.
If you were in that position, knowing the story behind it, would you still drink this coffee known as the world's most expensive?