Luwak Coffee History


Civet Pictures
History of Kopi Luwak is closely related to the history of coffee cultivation in the days of Dutch colonial Indonesia. In the early period of the 18th century, the Dutch opened the commercial plantation colonies in the East Indies, especially in Java and Sumatra. One is the Arabica coffee seedlings imported from Yemen. In the era of "cultivation" or Cultuurstelsel (1830-1870), Dutch ban indigenous farm workers picking coffee berries for personal consumption, but locals want to try the famous coffee drinks. Then plantation workers eventually find that there is a kind of weasel who likes to eat the coffee fruit, but only the undigested flesh, and seeds of the coffee husk still intact and undigested. Coffee beans in civet droppings are then taked, washed, roasted, ground, and brewed with hot water, it creates a Luwak coffee.  The news about the pleasures of aromatic coffee is finally wafted by Dutch citizens planter, then the coffee is a hobby people wealthy Dutch. Because of its rarity and unusual manufacturing process, civet coffee is coffee that was expensive since colonial times.


Luwak, or civet full, happy to find a fruit that quite well and cook including coffee fruit as food. With a sensitive sense of smell, civet coffee will choose fruit that really mature optimal as food, and afterwards, the beans are still protected and undigested hard skin will come out with the civet droppings. This happens because the mongoose has a simple digestive system so hard foods like coffee beans is not digested. Beans like this, in the past until now often hunted coffee farmers, as it is believed came from the best coffee beans and naturally fermented in the civet digestive system. The aroma and taste of kopi luwak does feel special and perfect among the fans and coffee lovers around the world.