<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Civet coffee is the most expensive coffee in the world and now scientists might have figured out why people are willing to pay more than $1540 ($US1000) per kilo of it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Even though it's made from animal poo.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Also known as kopi luwak, the rare and pricey coffee is made from beans harvested from the faeces of the Asian palm civet.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/celestial-events-australia-2025-lunar-eclipses-meteor-showers-supermoons-explainer/52c025c5-9f35-4801-a209-05e7b15bb94a" target="_blank"><strong><span>Your guide to Australia's skies: The lunar eclipses, meteor showers and celestial events happening in 2025</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>These furry critters are native to South and Southeast Asia, including countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They eat ripe coffee berries, digest the pulp and poop out the beans, which are then harvested and sold as civet coffee.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It has been around for more than a century and is usually so expensive because of the labour-intensive harvesting process, which often involves farmers hunting through forests for beans civets have pooped out.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/poo-coffee-civet-kopi-luwak-why-is-it-so-expensive/d75c856c-5a18-4afb-8e48-6299bb5cda2c" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The beans are usually found in small clusters, so it takes a long time to harvest a single kilo, and need to be laboriously cleaned before they can be roasted.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-public-holidays-dates-state-by-state-guide-explainer/ed0b6d3a-0f10-4134-ad08-f3db711978a6" target="_blank"><strong><span>How to maximise public holidays and make the most of your annual leave in 2025</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But many coffee afficionados claim civet coffee is worth the cost because of its unique flavour profile.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Now scientists have revealed they might be on to something.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Indian researchers discovered that civet coffee beans had higher levels of fats and other key flavour-enhancing compounds than traditionally harvested beans.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That could be why civet coffee has its unique taste and is so pricey.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The researchers analysed coffee beans collected from the faecal matter of wild civets on five robusta coffee estates in India, then compared them to the beans harvested from ripe coffee berries on each estate.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/breastfeeding-in-public-legal-rights-explained/e0b21c94-f6a2-47a0-947c-3c1f1ada8b74" target="_blank"><strong><span>Breastfeeding in public: What are your legal rights in Australia?</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They discovered that civet coffee beans had a higher total fat content, which would affect the coffee's aroma and taste profile.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They also had higher levels of two fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) than the other beans, which may add a dairy-like flavour to the coffee.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>According to the research, the chemical differences between the civet coffee and the traditionally harvested beans comes down to the animals' digestive systems.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Civet coffee beans undergo fermentation while being digested, causing chemical changes that likely affect the coffee's final flavour.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/strip-searches-music-festivals-rules-in-nsw-explained/600c1c7f-69ed-446e-867d-fb48294d2d6f" target="_blank"><strong><span>A court ruling has changed the way police conduct strip-searches in NSW. Here is what you need to know</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, these findings are based on unroasted beans and the researchers said the roasting process can alter the beans' chemical composition.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They also only analysed robusta beans, but most civet coffee is produced using arabica beans, so there may be differences between the two.</span></div></div>