Civets are worth a small fortune in Philippines
The tables have turned and the civets of the Philippines are smiling because of it. Once upon a time, being a civet in the countryside was a risky business – farmers were not very keen on the creatures and had a habit of killing them if they found them. Civets, it became clear, had a taste for their coffee beans.
Then something changed. It was discovered that these little creatures could actually help the coffee industry, rather than hinder it.
Civets, you see, have a taste for coffee beans. However, they only digest the outer part of the fruit and the balance of it passes through their system. While within the civet, the bitter aftertaste of the coffee bean is removed by the animal’s internal enzymes and stomach acids.
Why is this relevant you may ask?
Because if you make a beverage out of the coffee in the civet’s droppings, it has a surprisingly attractive taste. According to reports, it is full-bodied and a little spicy and also a little fruity. The proof, of course, is in the pudding and punters are very happy to pay for the privilege of drinking the product. In fact, in New York, it is said that one coffee shop is selling the civet coffee for $340 per pound.
As such, rather than killing the pesky civets on their farms, the local Philippine farmers are now focussing on the undigested part of the coffee once it has passed through the digestive system of the civet and selling them for a king’s ransom.