Kopi Luwak

6 Aug 2010 -Those who know me a bit better know that I love my coffee, but I would probably have a hesitation with kopi luwak, which comes from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The area is also the home of a civet like animals, called the luwak (see picture). These little mammals live in the trees and one of their favorite foods is the red coffee cherry. They eat these cherries - bean and all - and the substance is fermented in their stomachs. The bean finishes its journey through the digestive system and out it comes. These beans are then collected from the forest floor, cleaned, roasted and ground into the most delicious coffee (they say). I cannot help but think of the circumstances that led to the first cup of kopi luwak - because who roasted the little civets poo and made coffee out of it?