In 2013, a kilogram of this coffee cost between $200 and $400. This is because the annual world harvest of this coffee species is only 300-400 kilos.
The species is native to Southeast Asia (Sumatra, Java, Celebes, Philippines, Vietnam) and is made from coffee beans that are extracted from the feces of an animal from the weasel family, the palm weasel (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), popularly known as civet, and locally as Luwak.
The weasel eagerly eats coffee fruit but does not digest its seeds, only the pulp. After being digested by digestive enzymes and slightly fermented by lactic acid-producing bacteria, the beans pass through the tickler’s digestive tract and are excreted.
The animals select the best fruits, passing through the digestive tract the beans lose their bitter taste, and the coffee produced from them has a mild aroma.
