Most everybody knows that civet cats, also known as skunks, are not really cats, and are notorious for planting invisible clouds of a highly pungent odor along the roadway. Simply driving through one of these clouds may leave a lingering residue for miles. It is also well known that the odor is so distinctive that it may be clearly differentiated from others who are simply passengers in the car. The civet cats themselves are rarely seen along any roadway, and are almost as invisible as the clouds they leave behind.
When visible, one should maintain a respectable distance between yourself and any cat, especially the cat’s rear section, as that is the source of the malevolent odor. It is this high-end position that signals a clear warning to all critters. Through glands mounted near the bottom end, the cat is capable of shooting a stream of liquid odor several feet onto any two or four-legged stranger that passes by. The residue is almost permanent, requiring a thorough washing and odor removing agents. It is this distinctive capability that has brought civet cats to their current notoriety.
Who would guess that ‘essence of civet cat’ could, or even should be transformed into a high-end soft drink. Imagine that literally: A high-end soft drink to compete with Starbucks.
While cruising on the Azamara’s Quest in Asia, one couple took a tour of an organic farm outside of Manila. They saw, witnessed, and were roundly educated about this exotic drink, reported that it was incredibly expensive, and proceeded to detail the process required to extract the aromatic essence from live civet cats to a drink known as civet cat coffee. One such cat is shown below eating coffee beans directly from the tree.
It is this process that boggles the imagination, and possibly one might consider the source for validation. A California girl and a Michigan businessman traveling in Asia are the main, and possible only known reliable sources, although an entire tour bus observed the festivities. Presumably this exotic coffee is flavored entirely by live civet cats, which are maintained in otherwise pristine quarters on an organic farm.
This surely highlights a standard that when a product is advertised as ‘organic’ it must contain nature’s own ingredients with no chemical, artificial or foreign additives. This strict standard is maintained throughout this flavoring process.
These cats eat copious quantities of coffee beans fresh from the trees as shown above. This produces the all-natural digestive responses within each cat’s alimentary canal. These natural chemical juices bathe each bean with the same essence as that which collects inside your car while driving by. Processing is complete when the beans are emitted naturally from the end of each civet cat. Civet cat coffee beans must then be salvaged from nature’s natural excrement, which goes by several other names. The flavored beans are then separated from any collateral materials, processed, and packaged for final consumption.
The California-Michigan couple was not entirely certain about the recovery process, like whether the processed beans remained entirely intact, were partially digested, or were simply washed as is and packaged following this flavoring process. Presumably the remaining beans were packaged whole, and might require grinding prior to perking, steeping, or dripping. Boiling might also be a responsible suggestion.
The only issue about which the reporting couple was certain was that the civet cats employed on this organic farm did not have either a single or double white stripe on their furry backs, but were solid black animals possibly highly selected for this delicate bean processing. This careful selection of civet cats may explain the high cost of obtaining and brewing civet cat coffee.
To bring down the exorbitant cost of civet cat coffee and produce an equivalent coffee for the masses, Caribou Coffee has already produced what they call their ‘Caribou Blend’. Knowing that a caribou would be far more capable of processing coffee bean in quantity, this blend is currently available for Keurig coffee makers for under a dollar per cup. This equivalent is already widely available in many homes in the US. It is through connecting civet cats and caribou that one may properly infer which end it is that flavors the coffee.
One must agree that civet cat coffee is at least as fetching as it is far-fetched. If skunks start to disappear in California or Michigan, you may suspect that some shrewd businessman is preparing to go into mass production in these financially strapped states. The touring couple was quick to report that civet cat coffee contained only natural ingredients, without preservatives or chemicals, and is currently for sale for a hefty price in organic stores throughout the Philippines. When it finally appears in Nature’s Best Organic Stores in the States, you may want to check the label carefully to see if the states of California or Michigan are mentioned prominently.
The tour bus in which they rode to this organic farm outside of Manila is pictured below.
Who would believe it: A Jeepney tour bus to an organic farm outside of Manila to learn about civet cat coffee. At $75 or $100 per person, somebody is making a living.
Hello!! Civet Cat Coffee!! Caribou Coffee!! High end coffee!! Give me a break! The Caribou coffee is not really that bad, and is currently available for Kuerig coffee makers at your local grocery store. In today’s market it doesn’t matter which end emits your coffee beans! Go figure.