NEW YORK (Reuters) - Would you pay $175 for a pound of coffee beans which had passed through the backside of a furry mammal in Indonesia?

Apparently, some coffee lovers wanting to treat themselves to something special are lapping it up.

Kopi Luwak beans from Indonesia are rare and expensive, thanks to a unique taste and aroma enhanced by the digestive system of palm civets, nocturnal tree-climbing creatures about the size of a large house cat.

"People like coffee. And when they want to treat themselves, they order the Kopi Luwak," said Isaac Jones, director of sales for Tastes of The World, an online supplier of gourmet coffee, tea and cocoa.

Despite being carnivorous, civets eat ripe coffee cherries for treats. The coffee beans, which are found inside of the cherries, remain intact after passing through the animal.

"I say, did that palm civet just relieve himself?"
"Hmm, I believe he did."
"What are you doing down there?"
(sniff, sniff) "It smells like...yes, I do believe that once you get past the abominable smell of dung, it has the slight scent of...coffee!"
(sniff, sniff) "By jove, I believe you're right!"
"How do you suppose it tastes?"
"I don't know. Wait! I know, I'll eat some and find out!
"Splendid!"
(nibble, nibble) "It's Su-PERB! I have a brilliant idea: Let's see if we can get some poor, dumb saps to pay for this. We'll tell them it can be ground and drunk just like regular coffee! We'll make millions!"
"Brilliant!"

Labels: David C. Price