Everyday Coffee in the City - Philippine Civet Coffee

One of the goodies I brought back from my latest trip to the Philippines was a small box of Philippine Civet Coffee. I only bought one box for sampling because it is quite pricey.

We have started sampling this coffee this week.  This coffee is not as earthy and smoked flavored as the other Philippine coffee I've sampled before. It is not as bitter as the other coffee I usually drink.

Civet coffee is a type of coffee where the beans are picked from the poop of a civet.  The civet is a cat-like mammal that consumes the coffee fruit and then defacates the undigested beans. That is why to some, this is called poop coffee. I was shopping at Echo Cafe in Bonifacio Global City in Manila for confections to bring back to the States when I came across this type of coffee. It is like a delicacy so I was totally intrigued. I was also blown away with the intricate process how this coffee is produced.  

[read about my other Everyday Coffee in the City blogs here]

The staff at Echo Cafe did ensure me that the civets in the Sulu forest are wild to ensure that only select coffee berries are eaten and the animals are in great condition. Though a very slow method of harvesting bean, this also ensures quality production. This is why the price per kilogram of this type of coffee is so pricey. I only bought a small package.

 

This package is probably good for 6-8 cups of brewed coffee. This was the first time we sampled this type of coffee.

 

The coffee is evenly roasted. The beans are smaller than normal arabica beans.

It is also not as fragrant as the other coffee when freshly ground.

First, we paired it with a jalapeño bagel with salmon cream cheese and semi-soft eggs. 

I am still experimenting on the grounds to water ratio for this coffee. I used the same amount of grounds per cup of coffee as with my usual coffee, that is, two tablespoons per cup (or scoop). The coffee is mild in taste and it is not as bitter as the other coffee. It is a bit more acidic. It is probably the result of digestion in the civet's stomach?

Next, we paired the coffee with sweet snacks: a quesedilla muffin from Pan Dulce and Trader Joe's almond biscotti. I also added another half scoop into my normal ratio. The taste of the coffee became a little more pronounced.  I could also taste more of the coffee because of the cheese flavor in the quesedilla and the sweetness of the biscotti. This pairing and the ratio worked out better.

For one thing. It does not taste like poop. If you like acidic coffee like I do, you'll probably like this coffee. Since this coffee is pricey, I consider this week a luxurious coffee week for us even for just a short week. 

Next week, we'll open another coffee from the Philippines. Stay tuned...

~rl