The most expensive cup of coffee in the world

Want some coffee? These beans are the most expensive coffee beans in the world. Here are the folks who collect the beans for Black Ivory Coffee in Thailand.

'It's a unique taste,' said Barbara Schautz, a German tourist, adding she could detect notes of caramel and chocolate in the brew.

'It's not bitter at all.'

Dan Nosowitz reports for Modern Farmer,

What makes it so rare and so special? Well, it’s digested first. By elephants. Who eat it and then excrete it. The Daily Mail reports on the wildly successful Black Ivory Coffee, which could uncharitably but accurately be called “elephant poop coffee.”

Coffee beans aren’t beans at all; they’re the seeds of a fruit called the coffee cherry. The reason a plant creates fruits is to spread its seed. If an animal is enticed by the fruit and eats it, it inevitably excretes the indigestible seed somewhere else. This allows plants to “travel” and expand their range. This happens with coffee as much as any other plant; plenty of animals like to eat the coffee cherries. And, oddly enough, the digestive system of these animals has been found to actually make those excreted coffee beans taste better to us. The theory is that the various acids in an animal’s stomach work to denature the proteins, which are responsible for some of the bitterness in coffee.

This year, due to increased demand, the entire run of coffee beans is sold out. To get a cup, you’ll have to book a flight to Singapore, Hong Kong or Thailand and visit a select few five-star hotels. Or head to Texas, but call first. Cups of Black Ivory Coffee are going fast.

Read more here.