Luwak Coffee (Indonesian palm civet coffee): process technology and halal status

Civet coffee making process is very unique.

Civet coffee is very different than coffee in general. Civet coffee was first discovered in a Dutch coffee plantation about 200 years before Indonesia's independence (Schoenholf, 1999). In terms of price, the price of Luwak coffee is the most expensive compared to other authentic Indonesian coffees such as Aceh Gayo coffee, Javanese coffee, Bali Kintamani coffee, Papua Wamena coffee, etc. Even in world class though, this Indonesian palm civet coffee has the highest selling value of around US $ 150 or Rp 2.08 million per 500 g ( 2016). As the name implies, the processing of this coffee is quite unique and even strange, namely by using mongoose (Javanese language) or weasel. Civet coffee is obtained from coffee beans which are sorted from civet droppings. Until now, there are two types of civet coffee, namely coffee from wild mongoose and Tangkong civet coffee. For taste quality, wild civet coffee is more preferred than petty civet coffee.

Civet coffee making process is very unique. Civet has an excess of sense of smell that is very sharp so that only choose coffee fruit that has an optimum level of maturity based on the taste and aroma preferred. Civet eating coffee by peeling the outer skin with his mouth, then swallow mucus and seeds. In addition, the fermentation process also takes place unusual, different from other fermented foods, namely in animal digestion. The fermentation process occurs naturally by enzymes and bacteria that exist in the digestion of civet around 10 hours at a temperature of 24-26 ° C (Marcone, 2004). The fermentation causes civet coffee to contain lower protein compared to regular coffee due to an overhaul so that the taste is not as bitter as ordinary coffee because protein contributes to forming a bitter taste when roasted. When out with feces, coffee beans are not destroyed because of the simple digestive system of the mongoose so that the coffee beans are still intact wrapped in epidermis / horn skin / parchment (Hadipernata, et al. 2011). After the coffee beans come out with feces, usually washed and dried by drying (sun drying). There are also farmers who do the drying first before washing with the reason to get a better flavor. Then, when roasting the evaporated components are also different than ordinary coffee. Those are some of the events that are responsible for the aroma and flavor of Kopi Luwak are very unique.

Although derived from animal faeces, civet coffee is classified as halal food. MUI Fatwa No. 07 / MUI / 07/2010 decides that coffee beans that are eaten by mongoose and come out intact are declared halal on condition that the coffee beans are still wrapped in horn skin and can grow if planted again. In addition, civet coffee is a mutant material (which is unclean) but not unclean; Civet coffee as referred to is halal after being purified; consuming civet coffee may; producing and selling civet coffee legally allowed. However, it is not impossible that we will still find other civet coffee products that do not meet the halal requirements.