Saturday, March 14, 2009

Trivia #4 : An Animal which produces The World's Costliest Coffee


I am an animal who is a mammal of cat-size. The photo to the right is of mine.

I am native to South east asia, Southern china, South India and Srilanka.

In Malayalam, I am called "Marapatti".

In South east asian countries especially Indonesia, the Red coffee berries are a part of my diet.

But the inner bean of the berry is not digested by me and it is said that the enzymes in my stomach add to the coffee's flavor as they break down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste.

Research by Dr. Massimo Marcone at the University of Guelph has shown that my digestive juices actually penetrates the beans and changes the proteins, resulting in the coffee's unique flavor.

Then I defecate the inner beans with the inner layers of the berry intact.

My poop is then collected by you humans, washed and the beans are roasted.

This coffee is then sold as the "World's Costliest Coffee" for around $120-$600 per pound.

Only around 100 pounds of my poop-coffee makes it to the world market.

My poop-coffee which is being sold in an Australian cafe for $33 a cup got wide publicity in the australian press recently.

Can you name my poop-coffee and if possible me.

4 comments:

  1. The name of my poop coffee is Kopi Luwak
    My name is Asian Palm civet
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_luwak

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  2. You are wonderful. I have met many of your cousins and elders in Kerala. You had ventured in to my maternal uncle's house in Calicut that was in 1960's, when I happened to hear your relationship with coffee. You are called Civet Cat in English, in Tamil they call you Punuku Poonai) both gives that you belong to Cat family), and in Malayalam, Marapatti. I was intrigued the second part Patti means Dog (she-dog) in Malayalam. But I do not see the usual number of your likes these days. I wish you long life and longer existance in this World.
    Whole-heartedly wishing you is Krisshnan.E.S

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  3. hey u..........civet cat........u make so much trouble in my home...bt i think u dont get coffee here...........nyways ur so cuuuuute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  4. ye billi mere0 ghar me roj dudh pine aati hai,iska nam hai manish jha

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