Rare Coffee from Civet Droppings

Are you a coffee lover? If you are, you may want to sample this new coffee from the Philippines. It is called coffee alamid and it comes from the droppings of the Philippine palm civet cat, which is related to the mongoose.

Yes, you heard it right about the droppings. But hold on a second, it's not really the droppings that are made into coffee---it's the coffee beans that are found in the droppings. Farmers near Mt. Malarayat in Batangas province in the Philippines have been making coffee from such beans for a long time.

Apparently, coffee beans that go through the digestive tract of the civet cat gives it a distinct musky-sweet flavor which makes it very rare and expensive. Already a popular product in Indonesia, the Philippines may soon market the product for export. Only 500 grams are produced every year and roasted beans sell for $115 for a kilogram. The photo is from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4896230.stm