Cult coffee not to be pooh-poohed

It might not be a good idea to wake up and smell the latest coffee trend to hit our shores.

Kopi luwak is a blend made from the droppings of small cat-like creatures found in Indonesia, and costs $50 for 50g here.

While far from a staple of cafe society, the rare beans are available through Zealand Foods, a small Auckland-based online "gourmet foodmarket".

Managing director Paul Dowd said he received a few inquiries a week and made a couple of sales a fortnight.

"Sales are not high compared to normal coffee standards - only a few kilos per year," said Dowd.

"I would suggest the yearly production worldwide would be less than one to two tonnes.

"I have received orders from all over New Zealand and although my website is only young and has a small customer base, it is one of the bestsellers."

The blend is made from the droppings of luwak. The animals are nocturnal, fruit eating cousins of the mongoose partial to coffee berries, which contain the beans.

Collectors pick through luwak droppings and pick out intact, undigested beans before cleaning and brewing them.

Dowd said kopi luwak is new here, but the blend has developed a cult following overseas.

Sales are said to have shot up in America after Jack Nicholson's character in 2007 film The Bucket List refused to drink anything else.

A small Australian cafe put it on its menu for about $60 a cup in 2006, while a cafe in London's swanky Sloane Square followed suit for $108 a cup in 2008.

If sold in cafes here, Dowd estimated it could cost from $25 to $30 a cup.

Richard Goatley, co-owner of Altezano cafe in Newmarket, said he would consider selling it if there was enough demand.

"It's roasted at about 250C, so if there was anything alive on it before, there wouldn't be afterwards."

New Zealand Coffee Roasters Association president Tony Kerridge said he had considered importing the coffee to test at his business, Caffe L'Affare in Wellington. He and his staff bought a bag to try but were a little "underwhelmed".

It's a cuppa with a lot of aftertaste

We asked four coffee lovers to test kopi luwak at Altezano cafe in Newmarket.

Richard Goatley, 35, Altezano co-owner

Coffee connoisseur Richard said there were fake kopi luwak products on the market but this was clearly authentic.

"It's got a heavy, very thick, body with a little bit of spice and a little bit of a chocolate taste. You can tell it's genuine. There are reasons why it is expensive coffee, mainly because it's really good."

Gaylene Douglas, 44, trade marketing manager Sky TV

Gaylene said the flavour stood out immediately.

"I'm used to having a coffee blend, a rounder blend, but this is definitely a flavour all of its own. I like having an espresso after a good meal and this might be something I'd treat a friend to."

Scott Burcher, 25, financial analyst

Scott said kopi luwak was more mellow than other coffees. "There's definitely less back-of-the-mouth flavour or less bitterness. "For people that I know that really appreciate coffee, I would definitely introduce them to it."

Paul Dowd, 27, managing director of Zealand Foods

Paul said people would be surprised how long the flavour lasts. "It's not something you can drink everyday, but it's supposed to be a bit of an experience."

Other bizarre eats:

* Casu marzu, a Sardinian sheep's milk cheese containing fly larvae to speed up the fermentation process.

* Hakarl, an Icelandic delicacy of fermented basking shark considered poisonous when fresh.

* P'tcha, a Jewish dish usually made from the gelatine found in calves' hooves or bones.

* Bird's nest soup, a Chinese dish made from the nests of swifts who use saliva to build their homes.

* Fugu, or puffer fish, a Japanese delicacy containing the toxin todrotoxin. If prepared incorrectly, it can cause paralysis and death from asphyxiation.

rebecca.lewis@hos.co.nz