Care for a cup of Cat-Poop Coffee?

Poor Katie. No, puss, we haven't been raiding your litterbox. 

I'm refering to a variety of coffee that I recently heard about, coffee that has been "processed" in a somewhat unusual manner ... it's called Kopi Luwak, or more informally, Cat Poop Coffee.

In Indonesia there live small cat-like mammals called palm civets, which have an inordinate fondness for ( but sadly, an inability to completely digest ) coffee cherries. The civets pass the mostly undigested beans in their stools, which are then collected ( shudder ), washed, and lightly roasted to produce the world's most expensive coffee. Apparently the digestive enzymes break down the proteins in the beans, resulting in a uniquely smooth brew highly coveted by connoisseurs. Obviously, the nature of the process by which this coffee is produced means that mass production is unlikely any time in the future, and if you're ever feeling adventurous enough to sample it expect to pay about $500.00 a pound for the beans, or around $25.00 a cup.

Sounds yummy, doesn't it? Bet you just can't wait to shell out a week's wages for a bag of beans to impress your special guests with.

Personally, I prefer my coffee decrapenated, thank you very much; or better yet, I think I'll just stick to tea!

;)