Kopi luwak is considered the most expensive coffee in the world, but not because of its properties, but due to marketing tricks. It is obtained in an exotic way: animals called musangs (Malay palm civets, luwaks in the local language) eat coffee berries, after which undigested beans are found in their excrement. These are collected, washed, and dried. It is claimed that during the process of passing through the animal's digestive system, the beans are enriched with various substances, resulting in coffee with superior taste and aroma. However, not all cup testers agree, and many consider kopi luwak to taste poor.
This coffee was popularized by advertisements from producers, Oprah Winfrey's show, and the movie "The Bucket List," where Morgan Freeman's and Jack Nicholson's characters talk touchingly about kopi luwak.
The argument in favor of kopi luwak is that civets select the ripest coffee cherries. The high price is explained by the scarcity of such beans, the difficulty in finding them, and the time-consuming process of searching for beans in civet excrement. Perhaps this was once true. However, in recent years, the situation has completely changed.