Coffee

[Barney Rubble]

Personally, I'm a tea drinker and often treat myself to the finest teas that I can afford, purely so that I can pop it in my brew kit and enjoy good tea on a camping trip.

However, when I occassionaly indulge in a coffee, it's one of the Taylors coffee bags (like a tea bag but with fresh coffee in them!). Morrisons sell two varieties - Rich Italian and Hot Lava Java, both are very nice. When I'm at home my wife and I use a Nespresso machine where I drink it with all the suave and sophistication of George Clooney

 

[Arya]

Drinking tea whilst reading this thread

So, has anyone tried that cat poo coffee?

 

[Alan 13~7]

"CoffeeMate?" Looks like greasy chalk dust for "coffee whitener."
Fantastic flame retardant used by commercial pyrotechnicians.

Ironically we banned one brand of artificial coffee whitener in the prison because the inmates used it to start fires. I can't remember what brand it was though.

yet a quick internet search also reveals "coffeemate" to be highly flammable when introduced to a naked flame
https://voakey1.wordpress.com/2013/03/06/why-is-coffee-mate-flammable-george/
"Coffee Mate is a non-dairy creamer made by Nestle. It is used as a substitute of milk made of corn syrup, sweeteners and other flavourings such as vanilla or hazelnut. It also contains Sodium Caseinate (C47H48N3O7S2Na) also known as casein which is a milk protein derivative that doesn’t contain lactose. This is also an ingredient used in making glue. Sodium Caseinate contains the flammable element sulphur (C47H48N3O7S2Na). This is why when coffee mate is exposed to an open flame, the flame gets bigger. The sodium caseinate is mixed up in the mixture and when it is poured over a flame the individual particles ignite making the flame grow."

wow! using something flammable as a flame retardant that's just weird

 

[Alan 13~7]

Drinking tea whilst reading this thread

So, has anyone tried that cat poo coffee?

Coffee, the drink of tired goat herders and philosophers!

I tried the hyped Kopi Luwak a couple of times. First time I did not get it. Nor the second time. Then on the next time I got it. Superb marketing and hupe building. Some clever marketeer got a brilliant idea and people swallowed it.

Clearly the op has, or did you mean anybody else?

 

[decorum]

So, has anyone tried that cat poo coffee?

I haven't and won't. Nothing to do with the price, everything to do with the welfare of the Civet Cats ~ a very solitary creature which, in some places are now lunked together and farmed ~ maximising the profits by not having go look for the 'product' And because the gatherers want a certain product the food range is restricted form what they'd eat in the wild too Aparently the industrialisation of the process is making for a poorer brew ~ which makes sense when you thing how stress and poor diet can affect your own digestive process

But you can still get the coffee from certified 'ethical' / 'wild' sources.

 

[Arya]

Clearly the op has, or did you mean anybody else?

Thank you! I saw your post before you edited it, and I did read the whole thread... I just didn't get the name of the cat poo coffee until after I posted.
Can you ever forgive me?

 

[Arya]

I haven't and won't. Nothing to do with the price, everything to do with the welfare of the Civet Cats ~ a very solitary creature which, in some places are now lunked together and farmed ~ maximising the profits by not having go look for the 'product' And because the gatherers want a certain product the food range is restricted form what they'd eat in the wild too Aparently the industrialisation of the process is making for a poorer brew ~ which makes sense when you thing how stress and poor diet can affect your own digestive process

But you can still get the coffee from certified 'ethical' / 'wild' sources.

Thank you for the information! I don't drink coffee myself, but I've been curious if that coffee is really worth it, or if it's just some elitist hype
Obviously it's not worth it when one considers the animals. Good info!

 

[Alan 13~7]

F.Y.I. for anybody who doesn't already know :~

The story behind the Kopi Luwak (Civet Cat Coffee)

Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee and Luwak is the local name for the Civet like cat.

In the forests of Indonesia lives the Luwak or Palm Civet Cat (Paradoxurus Hermaphroditus). Being partial to picking only the most perfect Arabica coffee berries, the Luwak climbs trees and using its ultra-sensitive sense of smell it is able to select only the ripest and sweetest coffee berries and adds them to its diet. As they pass through the digestive system the enzymes which naturally occur in the gut break down the bitter proteins in the bean, and this starts the fermentation process which ultimately gives Kopi Luwak its distinct smooth and syrupy like texture. The undigested coffee berries are sent out as clusters of excrement and these are then collected by farmers before being cleaned, sun dried and prepared for shipment. Preparation and Storage

I haven't and won't. Nothing to do with the price, everything to do with the welfare of the Civet Cats ~ a very solitary creature which, in some places are now lunked together and farmed ~ maximizing the profits by not having go look for the 'product' And because the gatherers want a certain product the food range is restricted form what they'd eat in the wild too Apparently the industrialization of the process is making for a poorer brew ~ which makes sense when you thing how stress and poor diet can affect your own digestive process

I never even gave it a second thought that this would probably be the case, but now you have pointed it out, It doesn't really surprise me in the least. Isn't this is just typical behavior of many humans?

so +1 for me :~ I haven't and won't. EVERYTHING to do with its been partially digested by a cat, EVERYTHING to do with the price & Now reinforced by Everything to do with the welfare of the Civet Cats.

If there is still anybody who is not put off after reading decorum's post & would still like to try it it's £6.95 for 25g here is a link...

http://frescogourmetcoffee.co.uk/store/coffee/speciality-coffee/276/kopi-luwak-civet-cat-coffee.php

 

[Alan 13~7]

Thank you! I saw your post before you edited it, and I did read the whole thread... I just didn't get the name of the cat poo coffee until after I posted.
Can you ever forgive me?

When I read back my pre edited post, I thought it might easily be construed as being offensive & sounding offensive was not my intention, hens my reason for editing. please accept my humble apologies. I suffer from a condition called being a Man....

 

[decorum]

I never even gave it a second thought that this would probably be the case, but now you have pointed it out, It doesn't really surprise me in the least. Isn't this is just typical behavior of many humans? .

Until quite recently I hadn't heard or thought about it either . And yes, it is quite typical ~ though I suspect that the poor (literally) coffee farmers are just trying to meet the demands placed on them by the folk above them in the chain.

so +1 for me :~ I haven't and won't. EVERYTHING to do with its been partially digested by a cat, EVERYTHING to do with the price & Now reinforced by Everything to do with the welfare of the Civet Cats.

To be honest I don't see much difference between Kopi Luwak and veg from ground 'improved' by organic fertiliser


Not every palate will like every flavour ;-) And if enough people are expected to like a hard to get bean, the price goes up. BUT ~ I like coffee AND the price has always put me off . Are prices hiked up to market it as even more special, of course they are! .


And as I mentioned, you can get ethically sourced Kopi Lowak (i.e from wild Civet Cats)

Thank you for the information! I don't drink coffee myself, but I've been curious if that coffee is really worth it, or if it's just some elitist hype
Obviously it's not worth it when one considers the animals. Good info!

To be honest, it probably is worth the money ~ I know a couple of people who drink it (Ethically sourced from wild Civets). They're coffee geeks who look into *everything* about coffee ... historical, processes ... quite probably which notable figures drank what and how much too! . But they're not coffee snobs who turn their nosed up at lower cost beans or are impressed by a high price.

Will there be hype and will the hype have been used to hike the price? Of course!

Most people don't realise or know that Kopi Luwak is no longer the most expensive coffee bean out there* ... but, for the moment, those decades of 'hype' keep it on a smoke and mirrors throne .


* Disclaimer, it could well be back on its throne. It had been deposed, but it could be back. Most internet searches will show that Kopi Luwak is King


And to reiterate ... you can get ethically sourced Kopi Luwak

 

[Janne]

Xxxxxxxxxx

 

[Alan 13~7]

you can get ethically sourced Kopi Luwak

so just for the sake of argument ... I don't but say I did want to get some ethically sourced Kopi Luwak trying it for the first time how would I Know that the cunning farmers who have "farmed ~ maximising the profits" haden't just advertised it as ethically sourced Kopi Luwak. & stuck a label on stating ethically sourced Kopi Luwak?

 

[decorum]

I tried it a couple of times. Did not like it ...

Your palate is your own ~ there's no right and wrong And if were all the same and liked the same things there'd be a lot less choice

so just for the sake of argument ... how would I Know >>> massive snip<<< haden't just advertised it as ethically sourced Kopi Luwak ...

'How do I know if ...?' is the same with many things. And as with things like 'FairTrade' and 'Organic' labels there'll be paperwork and checks/visits before any claims of ethical sourcing can be fairly and properly claimed. And as meat protein has slipped into vegetarian foods, there are bound to be occassional slips and errors ~ C'est la vie!

 

[Janne]

Xxxxxxxxxxx

 

[decorum]

The only fruits I know 100% are Organic, >>>snip<<< are the ones that grow in my garden.

In theory my garden is also organic ~ but I don't trust that someone else unintenionally introduces something I wouldn't and which would disqualify it from qualifying as 'organic'

Maybe if the K.L. coffee cost the same as the other coffees in that coffee shop my brain would tell me it was nice, who knows?
But as I knew it was double the price, I did expect something go 'WOW' in my mouth.

Trust your brain, trust your taste buds, trust your palate ~ if it doesn't work for you then it's not right for you.

And yes, there is a perceived 'The speil says this is the best, I must like it!' surrounding many supposedly luxury items and foods. It can be disappointing when something fails to match up to your expectations.

 

[Janne]

xxxxxxxxxx.

 

[Robson Valley]

Caviar? I'd rather eat salted peanuts, especially the little red-skinned Valencia.
Caviar is made in Canada, too. Hard to find. Smoked sturgeon is +++ food.

Buy grapes, make your own wine. I started with Zinfandel from California to put 450 liters in the tanks for 2.5 man-days work.
Cost? $0.75/liter plus $0.25 each for corks, even if I bought 1,000 at a time.

I buy my veg from two local certified organic farms. I'm too old to really care much but I am buying local.
At the end of the day, I guess all the pesticides immunize me against pollution.

 

[Janne]

Xxxxxxxxxx.

 

[Robson Valley]

In season, one of the farms emails a list of a veg package, different things for different prices.
Lots of add-ons like herbs and various leafy greens.
Maybe I need 1 x $10 and 1 x $15 and extras with company coming for a weekend.
I email my choice, delivered to my front door on Friday afternoons. How "country" is that?

Trace elements and growth factors are difficult to analyze and supply for hydroponics operations.
The basics are easy. Maybe it's the air. If I have to, but food pulled out of the soil tastes better.

 

[Nice65]

Two items I think ( my buds and brain) are hugely overhyped and overrated. And overpriced.
Sturgeon eggs and Champagne.

Champagne = cheap acidic low alcohol wine with artificially increased alcohol level and CO2 bubbles.
Sturgeon eggs: Traditional Russian Peasant food. Byproduct from the Sturgeon fishing ( People did not waste anything in those days). sturgeon meat is delicious. Smoked, fried.

I'm with you on both of those. Champagne is just gassy dry white and tastes generally awful. Caviar is foul stuff, those little eggs popping as you munch them, tasting vaguely fishy.

I've not tried the Civet turd coffee, and probably never will. It just seems to be a fad. I find all three have a reek of food snobbery about them, boasters rights sort of thing.

I do think I'll be getting me some more Blue Mountain soon though, that's a very good coffee.