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The British luxury department store, Harrod’s, now sells Terra Nera – otherwise known as the world’s most expensive civet poop coffee. And they’re selling it for anywhere between $225 and $11,000 a bag.
The coffee is Grown in Quechua in the Peruvian Andes and is digested and fermented through the Civet cat’s digestive system. And furthermore, only 45 kg’s of the coffee is able to be cultivated each year. But, is the price worth it? Most experts, and coffee drinkers, are skeptical and think it’s more of a novelty than anything.
Ken David’s, the Coffee Review editor, has put some time into studying coffee that is fermented through animals, and has this to say about Harrod’s new blend “There are exceptional coffees out there at prices that people think are outrageous — like $40 a pound. And some of them, not these animal coffees, are exceptional for the variety of tree they come from. But this particular coffee is just a classic piece of outrageous marketing.” He continues to explain “Someone looking to be a super connoisseur and out-brag other connoisseurs would not pick one of these animal-processed coffees. They would chose some of the very best, which either comes from a rare variety of tree — the Gesha tree — or there are just particularly fine coffees, from anywhere, made in very small lots.”
David’s reason for this is that typically high-end coffee pricing and taste is based on other factors, such as the cleaning processes of the coffee, the country of origin, and whether it’s available in small batches or larger quantities. He recommends trying your hand at a still relatively expensive but more affordable high end blend such as Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, or Colombian Geisha. These are packed with more flavor than you’ll probably ever find in Civet car coffee, and way more affordable.