Last week I mentioned in passing the Asian Palm Civet, through whose intestinal tract coffee beans pass before the beans are passed on to you. Found a picture of the critter today at National Geographic.
The small arboreal mammals are key to producing Kopi Luwak, the world's most expensive coffee. After eating the ripe, red coffee cherries, the civets pass the beans undigested. Unique enzymes in the animals' stomachs give the coffee an exotic flavor, and a pound of beans can fetch U.S. $100 to $600.Bon Appetit!
Via Found Here.
I've often wondered how coffee was invented. The bean has to have the outer pulp removed, be dried, cleaned, roasted, ground, steeped in hot water and that water is what's consumed. Not exactly intuitive! Beer is pretty straightforward by comparison.
ReplyDeleteI once saw a similar thing with goats in some desert region. The goats climb up into the trees and eat the berries or beans, and pass them undigested. The people then collect the undigested beans or berries (which now appear roasted, due to the digestive process), and then eat them. It is a delicacy to them.
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