Is kopi luwak or civet coffee or cat poop healthier than regular coffee?

Kopi luwak or cat poop coffee does have amazing health benefits. But do those benefits justify its exorbitant price?

We live in a world where it's perfectly normal to forage through animal dung, pick out partially digested coffee beans and sell them for a fortune. We're talking about civet coffee, the cat poop coffee or the more dignified kopi luwak. Even before you have taken the first sip, the coffee beans that went into the beverage have already been through digestion and excretion. Don't believe us? Read on! Here are some disgusting types of coffee you should know about.

Asian palm civets are small mammals found in the tropical jungles of Asia. Although it's also called a civet cat, the animals have nothing in common with felines except for their shape. In the recent years, they have gained quite a bit of fame for their association with kopi luwak. We are not sure whether these shy animals are too stoked about this kind of fame, but the coffee beans excreted by the palm civet are marketed and sold as the most expensive coffee in the world.

In the 19th century, it was illegal in Indonesia to sell coffee to the locals because it was meant to be exported to Europe. They started gathering the excrement of the palm civet for the partially digested coffee beans found in them. The locals then cleaned, roasted and brewed coffee from these beans and were pleasantly surprised to know that it tasted better than the regular ones. Thus began the civet coffee craze that is driving coffee lovers to Indonesia by the droves.

Today, a single pound of kopi luwak is sold for $100 - $500 dollars. But is such an exorbitant price justified? Sahil JatanaCo Founder & Brewmaster at Foxtrot Beverages who started The Coffee Coach helps us understand all the hoopla around the poop coffee.

What are the health benefits of kopi luwak?

"It is known to have certain benefits over regular coffee," says Sahil. If acidity is keeping you away from coffee, here's some news you could use. Sahil says that kopi luwak may be less acidic than regular coffee although he adds that there are no studies to substantiate that claim. "Apart from that, the antioxidant-rich kopi luwak also improves your metabolism, prevents neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's due and also control diabetes," he says.

It is expensive. So is it better than regular coffee?

Regular coffee may not have received the right kind of press in the recent years but coffee does have a lot of health benefits. But where does it stand vis-a-vis the expensive kopi luwak? "I am not sure if kopi luwak healthier than regular coffee," says Sahil, although he vouches for its health benefits.

"Well, the idea of it passing through the digestive tracts of the civet cat and then excreted is something that has its own questionability," Sahil quips. He also highlights the ethical issues plaguing the kopi luwak industry. "Are the civet cats fed forcefully or is it naturally harvested in the wild?" he adds.

So why is it so expensive?

The old law of demand versus supply is applicable can explain why kopi luwak is so expensive. "The price of luwak isn t high because of the health benefits. I think it is high because of the rarity. There are only these many civet cats in the world who have a limited appetite and can eat only so many cherries to excrete a limited amount of beans that can be used to make civet coffee. I think it is a function of limited supply and massive demand," he explains.

Am I missing out on something if I don't try it?

If you are passionate about coffee but don't have enough money to fly to Indonesia and buy yourself a cup, don't worry; you aren't missing out. "I have had luwak and I don't understand the frenzy around it. To me, it doesn't taste any different than regular coffee," says Sahil.

"Would I drink it on a daily basis? No. Would I recommend it to someone? Maybe. Everyone who likes coffee should try it once. More like a tick off the bucket list!"

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