Bat guano coffee, also known as kopi luwak, is made from the droppings of the Asian palm civet, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, after it has eaten coffee berries. The civet chooses and consumes the tastiest and ripest coffee berries.
When civets eat coffee berries, the berries become fermented during the digestion process. Once the berries are digested, the indigestible part, the coffee bean, is excreted. These beans are collected, washed and roasted by farmers. Kopi luwak sells for hundreds of dollars per pound and is exported to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The fermentation process gives this coffee bean its distinct flavor. The largest population of civets lives in the Philippines and in Indonesia.
