"The aroma is rich and strong, and the coffee is incredibly full bodied, almost syrupy. It's thick with a hint of chocolate, and lingers on the tongue with a long, clean aftertaste. It's definitely one of the most interesting and unusual cups I've ever had." Chris Rubin - Coffee Connoisseur

If you are a fan of coffee, it seems strange if you have not ever heard of Kopi Luwak. This type of coffee indigenous to Indonesia, said to be the most expensive type of coffee in the world, this coffee even get into the Guinness Book of Records.

Civet coffee or kopi luwak in Indonesian language is a type of coffee that is very famous among coffee lovers. Not only because it is considered special, but also because of the price. Kopi luwak can reach the price range of U.S. $ 100 per 450 grams is commonly known is derived from natural fermentation results that will be issued along with luwak waste. Luwak is a type mongoose. Some species of mongoose found in Southeast Asia, but which produces the best flavored coffee is Indonesian Civet. This species live in Sumatra and Java.

Kopi luwak is one of coffee types. The beans of kopi luwak have been eaten and passed through the digestive tract of an animal like civet cat named luwak (Paradoxurus Hermaphrodirus). This coffee has been popular worldwide, with the exorbitant price of course. Kopi luwak price have reached five times more than the previous most expensive coffee from Jamaica, Blue Mountain coffee.

The fame of kopi luwak is originated since the 1950s where the coffee plantation was widely opened at that time in the reign of the Dutch East Indies. Luwak was many at that time. Luwak is clever to find a good enough fruits including coffee fruit as food. They can pick the best fruit to eat, and also the best coffee beans. After eating the beans, they discarded those beans along with feces, which were previously fermented in their stomach. According to the fans and connoisseurs of coffee, kopi luwak taste really different and special.

Luwak choose fruit that has an optimum level of maturity based on taste and smell, and eat it with peel outer skin with his mouth, then swallowing the mucus and the beans. Coffee beans that are still wrapped in the hard cuticle (horn skin/parchment) are not destroyed in the digestive system, because luwak digestive system is simple so when luwak release them out with the feces, the coffee beans is still intact wrapped by the horn skin. Coffee beans like this, in the past often hunted by coffee farmers, because it is believed to come from the best coffee beans are naturally fermented.

Traditionally farmers picked up luwak dirt along the Bukit Barisan from Padang to Lampung, and from the Gayo mountains (Aceh) to Bukit Tinggi, as well as at the slope of Mount Ijen in East Java. At these locations there was a coffee plantation where mongooses live.

Kopi luwak production decreases from year to year, since luwak is considered as pests, or vermin. Luwak is considered as pests because they are not only clever to pick the best coffee beans, but they are also clever to pick the best another fruits which are ready to harvest, so luwak would also consume the ready to harvest banana, papaya, chocolate, and other fresh fruits. Such behavior makes farmers hunt them.

Not surprisingly, in the world market for 1kg kopi luwak, people have to pay up to hundreds of dollars. Whereas, if you heard about the processing of kopi luwak, you would think again to consume them.

In the United States, there is a cafe or coffee shop that sells the kopi luwak (Civet Coffee) with a very high price. Those coffee beans which sorted from luwak droppings could reach U.S. $ 100 price per 450 grams in the United States. In Hong Kong a cup kopi luwak can be purchased at the USD 30 to 40, while in Medan, Indonesia, kopi luwak can be purchased in 4 ounce packages priced USD 150. Whether the coffee is the original kopi luwak or not, it is still questionable, especially for them who consume it outside Indonesia.