Most tourists plan holidays in Vietnam in advance, starting to collect the necessary information about the country from various sources for a long time. Very often, future travelers are faced with the assertion that the most delicious coffee is grown and prepared in Vietnam. How true is this information and what does Vietnamese coffee taste like?
Vietnamese coffee Luwak: unusual production
The animal that "processes" coffee inside itself.Luwak coffee in Vietnam is a kind of “highlight” of the country. This coffee is one of the most expensive and unique in the world. And the point here is not at all the variety of the plant itself. The secret lies in the unusual production technology.
Small animals live in Vietnam, which have several names: someone calls them musangs, someone calls them civets, and someone calls them palm martens. Their size is small - about the same as that of an ordinary cat, and the colors of the animals resemble gray foxes.
These wonderful creatures of nature feed on berries that ripen on coffee trees. After digestion of food, civets remove droppings naturally, leaving undigested coffee beans in it. Specially selected employees who collect such droppings roam the territory where the musangs live, with containers, filling them with grains for the future aromatic drink.
Luwak coffee in Vietnam animals do not digest completely - only the upper shell of coffee beans breaks down in the stomach. The core itself only changes the chemical composition, after which the drink becomes softer, with a pleasant chocolate aftertaste. It is precisely due to the fact that the grains undergo a kind of “processing” in the stomachs of animals that the drink costs a lot of money, and not every tourist dares to try it.
The cost of Luwak coffee in Vietnam
Musang animal that eats coffee beans. Only these animals are involved in the manufacture of the Vietnamese drink Luwak, named after the fluffy animal - the palm civet. Scientists have conducted many experiments with other animals, but the coffee beans collected from their droppings did not have such an unusual taste. Numerous laboratory procedures were also carried out, as a result of which the coffee beans were subjected to special processing. However, it was not possible to obtain such a taste as after digestion by civet.
All this greatly affects the cost of the finished drink. According to statistics, the cost of 100 g of Luwak coffee in online stores is about 3000-5000 rubles. In Vietnam itself, you can buy it almost everywhere.
Ready coffee, after musang, is collected by nursery workers. Of course, the local population often cashes in on tourists who dream of tasting this exotic drink, and offers them coffee at a fabulous price. Currently, 1 kg of such elite coffee costs about 1,000 US dollars.
Luwak coffee from Vietnam is the most expensive coffee harvested in the wild. There are some nuances to the search and collection of grains. It is because of the difficulty of collecting litter in recent years that the population of Vietnam began to build special farms where palm martens are bred and fed with coffee beans. This does not affect the taste of coffee in any way, because the animals still eat exclusively ripe coffee berries.
How to make Luwak coffee?
Luwak coffee brewing technology is different from the usual brewing method. In order for the drink to turn out to be the most aromatic and tasty, you need to take only freshly ground coffee. 
- In Vietnam, coffee is never made in Turks or coffee pots.
- Coffee is poured into a special filter.
- Pour boiling water over.
- Then they substitute a cup and wait for the drink to slowly collect in it, dripping one drop at a time.
How is coffee brewed in Vietnam in restaurants or cafes? With the help of the same special filters. If a client orders coffee in a restaurant, he will be served a cup with a filter, from which the desired drink slowly drips. Often they put a cup filled with green tea with ice nearby, and also bring a thermos of boiling water. At the request of the client, he can be served a vase with sugar, a glass with ice.
If a visitor to an establishment orders a complete set for himself, then his entire table will be crammed with dishes. And all this just to enjoy aromatic Luwak coffee. Boiling water is necessary so that they can dilute coffee. Drinking it in its pure form is difficult. After dilution with boiling water in coffee, you can add sugar to taste, and then slowly, enjoying every drop of this precious drink, consume it. 
How much is Luwak coffee in Vietnam today? The price per cup here is not the highest compared to the USA, Japan and European countries. For a cup of drink here you can pay about 90 dollars. It is the high cost of the product that gives rise to even stronger interest in it.
And more and more tourists who come to rest in Vietnam buy coffee from the feces of animals from Vietnam with them to their homeland and try to make it on their own.
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Luwak coffee in Vietnam is a kind of "highlight" of the country, intriguing the minds of coffee gourmets. The most expensive coffee in the world is produced here, in a poor country in Southeast Asia.
But let's talk about everything in order. Agree, for those who have not yet been to Vietnam, this country is associated with anything, but not with an invigorating drink. And, seeing allegations that excellent coffee is grown and prepared here, I immediately want to check this information.
Some nice statistics
Vietnam ranks first in the world in coffee production. Yes, leading Brazil is now in second position. Where did the Vietnamese get this wonderful drink from? Like the love of the baguette, from the French. It was they who first brought coffee beans to the country in 1857.
And today the Vietnamese just love coffee. By the way, tourists also keep up with them and happily start their day with a cup of iced coffee. Yes, yes, cold. Do not wonder! This is one of the local features. Be sure to try! There are two main varieties of coffee beans in Vietnam: Robusta and Arabica. Robusta is more popular, but both of these varieties are often mixed with each other in different proportions. And each manufacturer has its own secrets, ranging from the degree of roasting, ending with the addition of various special ingredients.
And now let's move on to the legendary luwak variety (from the English "luwak").
What is special about it?
The second common name for this type of coffee is Kopi Luwak. It is considered one of the most valuable and unique in the world. And every coffee lover has heard of this drink, even if they haven't tried it yet. Delighted gourmets say: elite, premium, with a soft unique taste, with hints of caramel, with a delicate aroma of chocolate and vanilla, finally, the most expensive in the world ...
One cup of such coffee in a Dalat cafe, for example, costs about 700 rubles.
How can you not want to taste! But first I would like to know what kind of "elite beast" it is. And yes, further our story will go mainly about animals. More precisely, about small furry animals. "What's with the coffee?" - you ask. Yes, indeed, it is hard to imagine that animals can make it. But this is true. However, without the help of specially trained people, it also could not have done here.
"Elite beast", or the main secret of the famous variety
Musangs - producers of the famous coffee
So, get acquainted - a wonderful animal with unusual names musang, civet or palm marten. It is in this animal and in the unusual production technology, and not in the variety of coffee beans, that the main secret and uniqueness of the famous luwak lies.
Amazing civets feed on berries from coffee plantations. But only their pulp is digested, and the grains come out naturally along with the litter. And specially trained staff carefully collects, rinses and dries the raw materials to create an exclusive drink. But we hasten to assure you that excrement does not affect the coffee beans themselves. No bad smell, just the opposite. Otherwise, who would drink it, and even at an elite price?!
The main value of these Vietnamese animals is that coffee beans undergo special fermentation in their stomach. And they leave the bitterness that is characteristic of the grains.
Therefore, the famous Vietnamese luwak coffee has such a delicate and unique taste.
Do you want a legend in the best traditions of Asia?
Tells about how amazing properties of luwak coffee were unexpectedly discovered.
It is believed that musangs choose only the most delicious grains.
A terrible misfortune befell one peasant family: wild musangs completely ate the crop of ripe grains for sale. But the Vietnamese miraculously found undigested grains and were able to get coffee from the feces of animals. Extreme poverty forced the peasants to wash this find and, having roasted it, put it up for sale like ordinary coffee. And their surprise was great, because an incredibly delicious taste was obtained!
How is luwak coffee made today?
Nowadays, it is not easy and expensive to produce exclusive coffee from animal feces. The cost of wild-harvested luwak coffee is the highest. The search and collection of grains under these conditions is very difficult. Therefore, entire farms have appeared in Vietnam, where animals are specially bred and given plenty of ripe coffee berries to eat. However, this process also requires significant financial costs, as well as hard farm labor. All raw materials that have emerged from the digestive tract of the animal are collected by hand, and then each grain is carefully washed and only then dried.
How to brew luwak correctly?
In many countries, coffee is brewed in Turks, and modern coffee makers and coffee machines are also used. In Vietnam, these methods are not common.
Vietnamese teapots, condensed milk and ice.
Before you try luwak, however, like any other variety, you must do the following traditional ritual:
- You will need the so-called fin. This device is somewhat reminiscent of a mini drip-type teapot. It consists of a small metal cup with holes at the bottom, a round saucer also with holes, a kind of press and a lid.
- Put a flat saucer on the mug first, and then the glass itself.
- Pour a small amount of coffee into a cup. You need to leave room for water.
- Put a press on top, but do not press hard.
- Pour hot water over, cover with lid.
- Wait until, drop by drop, the fragrant contents of the cup are in the mug.
- Drink and enjoy!
Of course, you can brew coffee in a more familiar way, but to fully experience all the magic of a Vietnamese drink, we advise you to follow the local technology.
As we wrote above, in Vietnam, coffee is traditionally served with ice, and condensed milk is added if desired. Chilled green tea is also brought along with it. These are local traditions!
For a better sense of taste, we recommend tasting without sugar. At least for starters. And most importantly, take your time, imagine that the moment has stopped! This is exactly what the Vietnamese do - they sit in a coffee shop for a long, long time, absolutely not in a hurry.
Where to buy in Vietnam?
It is not difficult to buy coffee in Vietnam, as it is a favorite drink of the local population and tourists. As in many other resort towns, coffee in Nha Trang is sold in small shops, as well as in specialized stores. And the range is amazing. Different varieties, ground and in grains - choose to your taste. Almost everywhere, when buying coffee beans in bulk, if desired, it will be ground right in front of you, and then beautifully packaged. Moreover, you can not only enthusiastically inhale the alluring coffee aroma, but also arrange a real tasting right on the spot. And without any fear that the purchased variety will not be to your taste. Try first, buy later! You can also buy coffee in supermarkets, but, as a rule, the choice there is not very rich.
Read more about shopping in our articles:
coffee prices
The price of Luwak coffee reaches $1,200 per kg.
In the Vietnamese town of Dalat, such coffee can be found for 250,000 dong per glass.
In other countries, the price of this coffee ranges from 250 to 1200 dollars per kg.
How much does coffee cost? The question is quite common, but it is not easy to answer it. There are a lot of producers, varieties are also diverse. And also the price for products of the same brand, albeit slightly, but may differ, depending on the specific place of purchase. But do not worry, you will definitely choose your variety, which will be ideal in terms of price and quality. Do not meet such a tourist who would not bring coffee from Vietnam - for the love of a drink or just as a souvenir.
And if you have long wanted to try exclusive luwak coffee, you may have to spend a little. However, imagine how bright the moment will be when, on a gloomy autumn morning, its amazing aroma, albeit for a moment, will return you to sunny Vietnam.
Coffee is the favorite drink of the inhabitants of the Earth. It is with him that the morning of many Russians begins. Someone likes instant, someone - brewed coffee. Someone prefers to grind the grains himself and cook in a Turk. What can I say, it's a matter of taste. And true connoisseurs of this drink prefer to drink the most expensive coffee in the world, paying tribute to fashion and the established image of a coffee lover. What varieties are most quoted by those who are interested in this issue?
Top five
In fact, there are only two main coffee varieties - Arabica and Robusta. The former is considered to have a more subtle taste and contains less caffeine compared to robusta. The second, cheaper, with bitterness and sourness, contains more caffeine. The most common in the world is Arabica. How much does coffee cost? How is its price formed? Here are just some of the data, a kind of hit parade of expensive coffee.
Fifth place
Fifth place on this list is occupied by "Blue Mountain" - coffee, the price of which reaches $ 90 per kilogram. It is produced in Jamaica and is famous for its mild flavor without hints of bitterness. As a basis, it is used to make the famous Tia Maria liqueur.
Fourth place
The fourth is Fazenda Santa Ines. It goes up to $100 per kilo. It is produced in Brazil (Minas Gerais) by hand. It differs from others with a sweet aftertaste of berries and caramel.
Third place
The third is Saint Helena coffee (there is such an island, famous for the fact that Napoleon was in exile there). It is made from the fruits of the same Arabica, which, however, grow only in this place. Coffee is famous for its subtle fruity aftertaste.
Second place
The second place in our hit parade is "Esmeralda", the most expensive variety of coffee obtained with traditional, we emphasize, processing. The price per kilogram reaches 200 dollars! It is produced in the mountains of Panama, its western part. It has an original taste, which is believed to be the result of careful harvesting and a cool climate.
Is the most expensive coffee made from excrement?
And finally, the most "valuable" - "Kopi Luwak". You can translate the first word as, in fact, coffee. The second word is the name of the animal, thanks to which the most expensive coffee in the world appears. The fact is that it is “produced” with the help of the African palm civet is very unusual. Animals (in appearance resembling squirrels) eat the berries of the coffee tree. Further, everything passes through the intestines of the civet, while the coffee beans remain undigested.
The most expensive coffee in the world comes from Indonesia. Its plantations are located on the islands of Java and Sumatra. The farmers of these plantations harvest the ripe fruits in the traditional manner. After that, they are fed to civets, which are kept in special enclosures. Animals eat them with pleasure. Then, when the coffee beans themselves come out with the excrement, they are cleaned, washed, and dried. Later - lightly fried.
The most expensive coffee in the world, obtained as a result of the vital activity of Indonesian civets, is famous for its very delicate aroma. Natural enzymes give it a special softness of taste. The retail price for a cup of such a drink can reach up to $50. And the cost of a kilogram is up to a thousand.
Limited supply
Every year, only about five hundred kilograms of Kopi Luwak beans enter the coffee markets. That is why he is so appreciated. It's all about rarity and elitism, and, of course, taste. With what epithets sellers and producers just do not exalt the dignity of this coffee: caramel, with a taste of cherries, the drink of the gods, with the aroma of vanilla and chocolate. In any case, this is a premium class drink, which, of course, is in good demand among the most zealous coffee drinkers, like everything elite and rare.
Historical perspective
There is even a legend about the origin of this "drink of the gods". It is said that at the time of colonization, planters forbade workers from taking coffee beans from plantations due to its high cost. Then people began to pick up coffee specially processed by civet from the ground (it was already impossible to sell it). The grains were washed, dried, ground. Brewed such coffee and drank. Then one of the white planters tried this drink for the poor. Struck by the delicate taste, he began to promote the product to the market. Since then, Kopi Luwak has been delighting drink lovers with its unique taste.
By the way, in Vietnam, for example, there is an analogue of the famous Luwak - coffee called Cheon. It is cheaper and is made in a similar way. It is said that this type of coffee has an even more pronounced flavor of beans processed with enzymes from a local variety of the animal.
african civet
Thus, the main producer of an expensive product is the civet itself. The animal belongs to the same family as the mongoose, outwardly even resembles it. Although in habits it is more like a cat. The civet spends most of its life in trees. Like a cat, she knows how to put her claws into the pads. Locals often tame civets, and they get along well with people: they drink milk, live in houses, respond to nicknames, regularly catch rodents, sleep at the feet of the owner, in general, turn into pets. This animal is also used as a source of musk used in the perfume industry. And, of course, for the production of elite coffee.
They say the best comes from the wild civets that make their way to the plantations at night. And in the morning, farmers, as a thank you from the animals, collect excrement under the coffee bushes as raw materials for the production of the “drink of the gods”. Each civet can eat up to one kilogram of coffee berries per day. "Output" it can only give up to fifty grams of processed grains. I must say that civets eat animal food, and not just berries. In the diet of domesticated civets, for example, chicken meat is present. These are nocturnal animals. And they generally don't breed in captivity. Among other things, the enzyme, which coffee lovers like so much, animals can only produce for six months. The rest of the time they are kept "for nothing" or even released into the wild so as not to feed in vain. And then they catch it again.
A new word in the production of coffee
At the moment, according to some reports, civet has given way to elephants, from whose excrement, it turns out, elite coffee is also produced in Thailand. The technology is similar, but this type of coffee is called "Black Tusk"! Bon appetit everyone!
There are many products in the world that are available only to a select number of buyers. These are rare, unusual goods, which, due to their exclusivity, are expensive. They also include coffee.
unusual coffee
There are so exotic varieties of coffee that not everyone dares to try them. These include the most expensive Kopi Luwak coffee and the equally precious Black Tusk. Both are extracted from animal feces. It is difficult to answer the question of who came up with the idea of extracting grains from the droppings of wild representatives of exotic fauna, but this business quickly began to bring enormous income.
Today, small coffee plantations in Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries specializing in the production of the most expensive coffee in the world bring the same income as large plantations in Brazil. There is nothing complicated in the production technology, you just need to feed the animals with whole coffee berries and extract them from the excrement in time.
On the world market, the most expensive coffee in the world can reach prices of 1200–1500 euros per kilogram, and a cup of a drink made from it can reach 50–90 euros. Not everyone can afford to start the morning with such an expensive product. What is special about coffee from excrement?
When whole berries harvested from the coffee tree pass through the animal's digestive tract, the action of the animal's digestive enzymes breaks down the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates contained in the grain. Due to this, the component composition changes, bitterness disappears, and some substances are transformed into others. This is a kind of fermentation that changes the quality of the product and directly affects the taste of the future drink.
Gourmets say that these varieties of coffee are distinguished by an amazing softness of taste and many shades in the aroma. They are worth trying at least once in your life.
Kopi Luwak
In most rankings, the most expensive coffee in the world is Kopi Luwak. Its main producers are Indonesia, Vietnam, South India and the Philippines. Here are small plantations of Arabica, growing at an altitude of at least 1500 m above sea level.
A small rodent also lives here - civet or luwak, as the locals call it. It is he who is the main person in the chain of turning ordinary coffee berries into elite and expensive coffee.
Wild civet eats about 1500 kg of fruit per night
The animal is kept in a zoo and processes several kilograms of mature and not only coffee berries every day. Its content is not so cheap for farmers, because for normal life it needs meat. The rodent is nocturnal, so feeding occurs late in the evening and early in the morning. To get 50 g of coffee beans ready for processing after the animal, you need to feed him about 1 kg of berries.
In addition, the luwak must be released to freedom, as it does not breed in captivity. They are later captured again and placed in a zoo.
How is coffee processed from animal feces obtained?
- Plantation workers collect animal excrement daily and send it to dry.
- After that, the grains are washed under running water and separated from the excrement.
- Next comes the process of drying the grains.
- The final step is roasting.
As a rule, they are subjected to a medium degree of roasting, because the taste of the future drink should be soft with an almost imperceptible bitterness. Coffee made from roasted beans has a chocolate-caramel flavor and vanilla aroma. Today, a lot of Kopi Luwak comes from Vietnam. This country in recent years has become one of the world leaders in the sale of coffee in general.
What explains such a high price for Luwak coffee? In addition to the cost of caring for plantations and paying workers, farmers need to keep wild animals that require care, and this is a lot of money. In addition, the output is much smaller amount of good coffee beans than if they were simply collected and dried. Weight is added to the price by advertising praising the unusual taste of the drink.
black tusk
Another product that can challenge the title of the most expensive coffee in the world is the Black Tusk. It is produced in Thailand and three regions in the Maldives. Already from the name it is clear which animal is an important link in the coffee production chain. This is an elephant. He is also not averse to eating coffee berries.
The coffee production technology is similar to the Indonesian Kopi Luwak. The elephant eats grains, or rather berries, which, passing through the digestive tract, undergo a kind of fermentation. Then they are removed from the feces, washed, dried and fried. Digested grain in the amount of 1 kg is obtained from more than 30 kg of berries.
The elephant loves fruits and berries, so Black Ivory has a mixture of their flavors and aromas.
The drink made from the same grains is distinguished by a rich fruity taste and aroma, it contains floral, chocolate and nutty notes at the same time. There is no bitterness in it, but no sourness either. It is tender and soft, as befits a good Arabica. All over the world this type of coffee is known as Black Ivory, its price reaches 500-600 dollars per 500 grams.
Other Expensive Coffees
In addition to those varieties of coffee that are obtained thanks to animals, there are equally valuable ones produced in a less exotic way. Expensive varieties of coffee grown in the traditional way are distinguished by their exquisite taste only due to the peculiarities of climatic conditions and the varieties of the coffee trees themselves. Below is a rating of the most valuable of them.
- Hacienda La Esmeralda ($100-125 per 1 kg), produced in Panama, Arabica plantations are located high in the mountains in the shade of branchy Guavas. The drink has a mild but rich taste and is considered the purest in the world.
- St. Helena Coffee ($80 per 500g), grown in Saint Helena. Distinguished by citrus, floral and caramel notes in the finished drink.
- El Injerto from Guatemala ($50 for 500g). The finished drink has the taste and aroma of exotic berries, chocolate and fruits with a nutty aftertaste.
- Fazenda Santa Ines from Brazil ($50 for 500g). Winner of many world awards at coffee exhibitions. Has a hint of citrus and chocolate.
- Blue Mountain from Jamaica ($50 for 500g). It is grown in the mountains at an altitude of more than 1500 meters. Gives rich taste of chocolate and fruits with refined notes of red pepper.
Traditionally, expensive coffees are sold in beans. Soluble is not included in the list of elite products. It is also difficult to say which of them will suit your taste. One thing is known, products with the elite mark, as a rule, confirm their special position, so they should be allowed at least occasionally.