A Civet Cat Named Rocky

On a trip to North Bali, the drive was quite long, so we (I was with my clients, Robert and Sandra) made a stop in the village of Baturiti. In this village, there was a small coffee farm that belonged to a local farmer.

Komang, the girl

At the farm entrance, we were greeted by a girl named Komang, who eagerly guided us through her farm and showed us around. The farm featured various plantations, including Robusta coffee, Arabica coffee, and Bali coffee, along with papaya, salak plants, and various spices plants.

the civet cat

Rocky in an open cage, he could go away anytime

As we ventured deeper into the farm, we encountered an open bamboo enclosure containing a peculiar creature that resembled a cat but had a pointed mouth. This creature was called a civet, and Komang introduced us to this particular animal, named Rocky. Civets played a crucial role in the coffee production process. These animals eat coffee beans. Interestingly, the coffee beans' outer layer was digested, leaving the inner bean intact. It was as if the animals have a sweet tooth for coffee beans, considering the fruit's cherry-like flavor.

The fresh-picked coffee berry

The coffee after eaten by the civets, these were the poo.

after being rinsed and cleaned

The beans are still coated by hard shell

the shell removed

roasted coffee bean, Can you smell the fragrance?

Komang also mentioned that civets enjoyed eating fruits such as bananas and papayas, in addition to coffee beans. The coffee beans the civets consumed and subsequently excreted were collected by farmers. This unique process led to the creation of one of the world's most expensive coffees.

According to Komang, Rocky was more of a pet in their family, and they didn't raise him for the purpose of producing the world's best coffee. The coffee they produced on this farm came from larger farms in different areas. They couldn't compel civets to eat coffee beans; it had to occur naturally since civets were wild animals that roamed coffee farms.

Komang went on to explain that the best coffee beans were collected after being excreted by the civets, and this was what made the coffee truly exceptional.

After bidding farewell to Rocky, we continued our tour, and Komang showcased the various stages of coffee production, from the red cherry or berry stage to the cleaning and peeling processes. The coffee beans remained undigested and intact inside the civet's stomach, with a tough shell that had to be painstakingly removed to obtain the bean.

Due to the fermentation process within the Civet's stomach, the coffee became less acidic and contained less caffeine, resulting in a delightful taste. While the notion of coffee passing through an animal's digestive system might raise eyebrows, the actual taste was exquisite, explaining its worldwide fame. Komang then treated us to a selection of herbal drinks, Bali coffee, and the civet coffee.

Personally, I opted for my favorite, Black bitter Balinese coffee. We savored our coffee and enjoyed sweet potato fries wrapped in palm sugar. It was a delightful experience.

We relished our coffee (with me enjoying my black bitter Bali coffee) while Robert and Sandra explored a variety of herbal drinks, including vanilla coffee, Ginseng coffee, turmeric tea, Rosella tea, and numerous teas. They even tried some dark chocolate, which was bitter and required a bit of palm sugar to balance the flavor.

We thanked Komang and took a quick look at the little shop in the middle of the coffee farm, where Robert purchased some coffee to surprise folks back home. Their plan was to have their family try the special coffee from Bali and reveal its unique origin,. I wondered how their family would react to this unusual story. People often humorously referred to it as "shit coffee" or even "cat poo chino." Have you ever had the opportunity to try this unique coffee before?