The most expensive coffee in the world

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In the club of lovers of sophisticated coffee, you will never give your hands if you do not praise an unearthly, alien taste of coffee Luvak. Or a cop. And if you have never heard anything about the aluvak (as they most often call this drink - Kopi Luwak), then you are simply pushed out in a bid. Elite, truly aristocratic variety of coffee for those whose wallets are thicker than pockets.

Fans of coffee around the world have a huge number. In recent years, the percentage of the soluble version of this drink has grown greatly, but the fans personally be silent and brew in the Turk the morning fragrant nectar also. Many make a whole ritual out of this and are very proud of original and rare cooking recipes.

And no real coffee machine will never hold back to experiment and try the taste of a new variety for itself. Even if he has to lay out several hundred dollars per hundred grams of exotic grains.

Simpool yourself and acquaintances of the aluvak is to demonstrate your own chic and the ability to feel all subtle flavors in the drink. But, why does this unique, chocolate-vanilla taste happen, and why is its price so no longer?

A little story
Species, legends, fairy tales of the peoples of the world ... There are almost no primary sources. Journalistic folklore says that coffee trees grew many centuries ago in Ethiopia and the ancient Africans thought, that they were for beauty. Then the shepherds, it seemed like they began to notice that animals softened in the African heat, having eaten coffee stakes, became unusually vigor. The shepherds also wanted to cheer up, but they needed centuries to think of - to fry, grind and brew the grains of coffee ... It is now unrealistic to track the appearance of ancient technologies.

Well, as for the cop Lyuvak, they again tell (or compose, go check) that the history of the Kopi Luwak variety began in 1696. The Dutch, who then colonized everything in a row, including the islands of Indonesia, chosen the island of Java for themselves and defeated coffee plantations on it. Or maybe for a start, they did not break it, but simply hired local natives to collect grains from wild coffee trees, which were then, then. Employees were strictly forbidden to take away even a couple of grains with them. The climate was hot, the Yawyans of clothes wore mainly beads, so there were practically no possibilities for theft of expensive grains.

Nevertheless, the surprised Dutch saw how every evening the workers at their huts drank coffee, but in considerable quantities. We looked closely and found that in their free time, the Yawyans go and collect ... feces. True, not all in a row, but those that local pretty animals left, similar to martens. Scientists call this animal very beautifully - paradoxurus Hermafroditus, aka Malay palm citytte or marten. Or Musang. The local residents themselves have long called this sympathy briefly and sonorously - “Lyvak”.

Since the Netherlands could not even think that someone would be there then, no one prevented the collection of the life of the Musangs. The natives were calmly collected, and the assembled was thoroughly washed. And they found coffee in the washed grain. The fact is that Musang, although it eats mainly other food, does not disdain to taste coffee beans. Moreover, he eats far from every grain, but only the best - ripe and fresh. At first, the Danes twisted and wrinkled the physiognomy, but then they tried a drink from such ... um! .. An unusual product and was amazed at its unusual taste and consumption, coupled with the aftertaste.

Legends also mention the name of a certain Englishman by the name of Robinson, who has been in these places, tried the taste of an unusual drink and established the collection of not coffee beans, but this very ... "goodies".

The first scientific researcher Kopi Luwak is called the Canadian naturalist Markoni. Marconi found that the Musanges digest only the outer shell of coffee grain, but the grain itself remains almost whole. At the same time, in the process of digesting, all kinds of milk-acidic bacteria split some proteins and remove them from grain. As a result of Luwak coffee, it is so pleasantly bitter and has a special taste.

A copy of the Luvak is made not only on the island of Java. Plantations and animal farms are on Sumatra, Philippines and Vietnam. In Vietnam, the animal, which digests the most expensive coffee in the world, is called Jung. Therefore, if you hear the phrase “coffee chun”, then know that this is the same as the aluvak, only in Vietnamese.

Why is it so expensive?
Now in Indonesia they grow in mass quantities a coffee plant to Robust. Robusta is a much more productive and unpretentious plant, more resistant to disease than her sister-Arabica. But this variety is usually used for coffee mixtures, as well as inexpensive and mass production of coffee. Including soluble. However, caffeine in it is quite enough to get a charge of vigor from a cooked cup for several hours, so that the mass consumer Robust is quite satisfied.

The grains of arabica grow on capricious and less productive trees, but it is from its fruits that they make high -quality varieties of coffee. In fact, Arabica is an ennobled, distorted robust, which is looked after and cherished. It is precisely the fruits of Arabica that the adapted Musangs-Luvaki eat.

Producer tricks
And now a small parable. He ordered the headman of the village to bring a bucket of kvass to his house and pour into a huge barrel. In the morning, the headman found that in a barrel - pure water. It’s just that every villain rightly reasoned that a bucket of water would not spoil the barrel of kvass.

And imagine that you are a manufacturer of an elite drink at a price of $ 500 per pound. At the same time, you definitely know that there are practically no one hundred percent gourmets with taste receptors of trained tasters in the world. Of course, everyone imagines himself a connoisseur and positions himself in the light as a subtlest connoisseur of aromas and flavors, but we know ... Meanwhile, cheap coffee from Robusta around is apparently not apparently. What will prevent you from mixing 10 percent of the same, in general, coffee in a true copy? No one will interfere and no one will distinguish. Well, if 20 percent? ..

Experiments with elements of the game on human vanity continue. Rich people, they do not "can eat a bad dinner, they need lunch the best." It is generally better to keep silent about artificial coffee flavors ... So if there is a hunt for drinking what is paid for, and not for a prestigious label, you need to spend a lot in search of and, most importantly, checking the responsible supplier, dear to his reputation.

Arabica coffee is not so strong, but more fragrant, with a rich and smooth taste. It is precisely the fruits of Arabica in natural conditions that the adherent coffee martens eat. And even then not everything, but only the best.

Industrial scale
The production of coffee people has been established for a long time. Near the coffee plantations of arabica are animal farms, where animals-manufacturers live in cells. But in natural conditions, the Musangs seek the best “coffee cherries” (fruits of coffee trees) and vow them at their discretion, giving out a “natural” product at the output. On the farms, they are forced to eat everything in a row: no one will take away manually, one at a time, and fry it “the latest grains”, as the advertising assures us. Otherwise, the cost of coffee grows, and manufacturers do not like this.

Fortunately, not all of the coffee of Luvak is made in an “industrial” way. But manufacturers, actually collecting products of the vital functions of the Musangs as a stand (that is, right under coffee trees), is very few left. Nevertheless, there are still such, and it is their hands that the real Kopi Luwak is produced. Of course, in very limited quantities. For example, in Vietnam in a “manual” way, only a few hundred kilograms of coffee per year are made.

In addition, it must be borne in mind that Kopi Luwak is a seasonal product, and they produce it only a few months a year. With such a small produced amount, it is not surprising that the retail price of a copy of the people reaches $ 100 per 100 grams. But people “understanding” in coffee say that its taste is worth it.

We take a walk around the farm
Musangs coffee beasts are relatively small (up to half a meter in length) animals similar to a marten, with a long fluffy tail.

In nature, Luvak is more likely a predator. He confidently feels on trees, hunts snakes and bats, does not disdain insects or bird eggs. And in captivity, he is forced to sit in a cage and eat mainly coffee beans. The animals eat and spit skins. The skins are immediately removed so that the Musangs are taken for new berries.

One Musang can eat about a kilogram of green coffee grains a day, and after a few days at the exit after washing it will turn out only half a hundred grams necessary for the production of Kopi Luwak raw materials. By the evening, when the pets worked well, they are given their real food as a reward - meat. But only a little so that the animal only quenches hunger, otherwise it will be fed up the next day and will not be able to do the main thing.

By the way, Lyuvak, although a very charming beast with a charming muzzle, but punch it or take it in your hands. This is not a cat, this is a wild beast, it may not aggressively understand your desire. Leave hugs, kissers and other facial expressions for your pets.

Sad civilians
Since these animals are very reluctant to multiply in captivity, it is customary to release Mustangs on some farms for the time of the non -season “on vacation” in their native forests. It’s easier then to catch new than feeding them “wasted”. In addition, not all seittas that have grown in the free forests tolerate life in cells well, and can hurt in captivity.

The cleanliness on the farms, as a rule, try to maintain maximum. Cells and other places wash daily and carefully. Tourists who come to love are usually pleasantly surprised at the purity and fresh atmosphere, strikingly different from our zoos and stables.

Poils collected in cells are carried away to a special place, where it is thoroughly thoroughly washed with boiling water. Parasites and worms are dying. Then absolutely clean grains are sorted by size and sent to the dryer cabinet. After drying, dry grains are filled with bags that go to manufacturers directly to the drink.

Typically, farmers leave a certain amount of coffee to sell visiting tourists. Right in front of the eyes of fans of coffee, grain is fried, prayed and boiled. Any one who came to the farm (and tourists on such farms are usually full) can drink dollars for 10-20 a cup of “that same” coffee. And then he excitedly tell my friends that “yes, yes, an amazing taste, this is a real kopi luwak!”

Farm workers will not refuse to sell you fresh grains of this coffee. And his price will be more humane than in stores-$ 15-20 per 100 grams.

How to cook kopi luwak
If you have acquired real grains obtained in natural conditions, now your task is not to lose when preparing a drink of taste, fragrant and useful properties. We mate the grains in a good, branded coffee grinder immediately before cooking, and not in any way in advance. The aroma, you know, is striving to disappear.

Connoisseurs recommend cooking coffee in a simple, but tested by generations of sweatshirts Turk. Be sure to make silver from copper and from the inside. They paid for the grains of the Lyubuvak, there was nothing to save on silver.

Neither my God to type water from under the tap! A self -respecting lover of coffee at home probably has a powerful water filter with five degrees of cleaning. It is advised a couple of hours before the arrival of guests to cooled this water well in the refrigerator.

Some fans for coffee water are first frozen to an ice state, and then they are laid. And they assure that the water is the most important, it is impossible to achieve with any water filters of such a taste.

Pour chilled water into a Turku and heat. We pour just finely ground powder into the Turk at the rate of one teaspoon (although the word “tea” here is out of place) for one cup of coffee. In order for a pleasant foam, you can add a very little salt - salt increases foaming. We continue to heat, watching the white foam swelling in a Turk. This foam is all the same tea ... Well, what is it! .. The coffee spoon can be carefully removed and laid out into cups.

At the moment when the coffee is going to break out of the Turks, raise it, soothe the seething and mix. It is very important not to miss the moment. Coffee should not boil in any case differently, your money disappeared, the whole taste and ugly will go under the tail.

Pour the most sophisticated copy of Lyuvak into cups and bring a tray into the hall, where admiring guests sit with dilated nostrils ...

It is curious that ...
The cunning inhabitants of Thailand, seeing the popularity of Lyubuvak, invented their own analogue - the coffee "Black Ivory" ("Black Business"). Only instead of small sad civiles, coffee grains digest ... a huge elephant! They say that the “black tusk” is distinguished by the unique softness of the taste and does not bitter. The price of this coffee goes off scale for $ 1000 per kilogram, but there is still no end to those who wish, and coffee farms do not have time to produce it.