Waste to energy! Refreshing coffee with civet poo

While walking through the coffee estates of Madikeri, you may just spot the world’s most expensive coffee in an unexpected source — in the droppings left by viverrids, commonly called as civets.

Known as Kopi Luwak, the variety of coffee originated in Indonesia and retails for upwards of Rs 25,000 a kg in the international market. In Karnataka, the animal droppings have not only provided a source of income for coffee growers but have also reduced the indiscriminate hunting of civets in the region.

The endangered mammals break down the cherry and juices of the fruit but leave the bean intact. During digestion, a combination of acidic, enzymatic and fermentation processes give the beans a distinctive aroma and taste.

“While processing coffee, growers too let the beans ferment to improve the taste. But here it happens naturally in a way that we cannot replicate,” says Narendra Hebbar, who co-founded a coffee marketing brand that buys civet coffee.

While the taste of Kopi Luwak varies based on region, the coffee is less bitter, with hints of chocolate and caramel.

“Civets are known to pick out the best quality of coffee cherries which is why the taste is regarded,” says Narayan Bhat G R, who collects civet coffee on his five-acre plantation in Virajpet.

Far from being dangerous, civets may be seeing their numbers rising due to the market for civet coffee. Known as ‘kabbekku’ locally, civets were illegally hunted for their tasty meat which is rumoured to have medicinal qualities.

After brands started offering a good price for the beans excreted by civets, plantation owners have made an effort to keep hunters at bay.

“There are plantation owners who have put a complete ban on hunting the civets,” says Narendra Hebbar.

They are omnivores and consume a range of forest fruit like jamuns, mangoes, bananas and palms along with small animals like rats, birds and snakes. They consume coffee cherries in great quantities when in season and leave behind beans in their excreta.

“The excreta is generally easy to spot as the animals like hard surfaces. Once you note the route of the civets, collecting becomes easier,” says Purushotham Kashyap, the owner of a 50-acre coffee plantation. He discovered that there was a market for Kopi Luwak in India three to four years ago.

The growers sell the excreta to coffee processors, where it is washed and undergoes hulling, curing and polishing treatments. “In this process, we lose close to 60% of the coffee beans, but this varies and is based on luck,” says Hebbar. To prevent adulteration, processors ask growers to bring in droppings in their original form. One kilogram of coffee can sell from Rs 800 to Rs 1,500. To put this into reference, a kilogram of arabica coffee sells from Rs 180 to Rs 300.

“An advantage of Kopi Luwak produced in Kodagu is that all the civets are free-range and the coffee beans are foraged unlike in Indonesia where they are caged and force-fed coffee cherries,” he adds. But the taste of the coffee has a larger bearing on the soil and how it is roasted. “The fermentation process is distinctive but the flavour profile depends on many factors like region, soil and roast profile,” says Viggnesh V, a coffee expert.