Coffee connoisseurs might not be surprised to learn that the most expensive cup of coffee, Black Ivory coffee, comes at approximately $70 per cup. However, they might be surprised at the origins of this expensive brew.
Black Ivory coffee comes from Thailand’s Golden Triangle region, and it’s derived from elephant dung. Essentially, the elephants are fed a mash that has the coffee beans mixed into it, and when they eat it, it goes through their digestive systems. Later, the digested coffee beans are picked from the dung and then washed, dried and roasted.
How does elephant dung make the beans any better? Well, during an elephant’s digestive process, fermentation is used to break down the cellulose that’s in all of the green leaves that it consumes. When the coffee beans are included in this fermentation process, the fruit of the coffee pulp is imparted into the bean, which brings out the natural sugar in the bean and gives it a less bitter taste when roasted.
The end result is said to be a brew that allows people to taste the natural flavor of the bean instead of the roast. Many people claim that no sugar is necessary to sweeten the brew and that the beverage is like a smooth, charming cross between coffee and tea. It has a floral, chocolate aroma, and the taste has been said to be “fruity” and “a taste of chocolate malt with a bit of cherry.”
This type of coffee is currently only available at five-star hotels and resorts in Asia and the Middle East.
Black Ivory coffee site: http://www.blackivorycoffee.com
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