Why Elephant Dung Coffee Is the New Luxury Bean

Ever wondered what makes some coffee cost more than a fine bottle of wine—or even a weekend getaway? The answer isn’t just rarity or branding. For years, kopi luwak (cat feces coffee) held the crown as the world’s most expensive brew. But today, there’s a new contender that’s not only rarer but also said to deliver a smoother, more complex cup. And it comes from an even more surprising place: the digestive system of elephants.

Elephant-digested coffee—sold under the brand Black Ivory—retails for $1,100 per kilogram, or roughly $50 per cup. That makes it one of the most expensive coffees globally, surpassing kopi luwak, which sells for $500–600 per kg. If you're chasing the ultimate luxury coffee experience, this is it.

What Is Elephant Dung Coffee?

Elephant dung coffee is made from Arabica beans that have been eaten, digested, and excreted by elephants. Workers collect the beans from the dung, clean them, and then process them into roasted coffee. The result is a cup described as tasting like milk chocolate, nuts, spices, and red berries. The unique fermentation process inside the elephant’s gut is what transforms the flavor and texture of the beans entirely.

Where Does Black Ivory Coffee Come From?

The coffee beans are produced at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, located at the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort in Chiang Rai, Thailand. This foundation rescues and rehabilitates elephants, and the coffee project supports their care. The Arabica beans are handpicked at 1,500 meters altitude, fed to the elephants, and later retrieved from their dung. Local elephant caretakers, or mahouts, and their families manually sort the beans before sun-drying them. To date, the foundation has rescued 30 elephants and provides livelihoods for their caretakers and families.

How Elephant Digestion Changes the Coffee Flavor

The secret behind the smooth profile of elephant dung coffee lies in the animal’s digestive enzymes. Research shows that enzymes in the elephant’s stomach break down proteins in the coffee beans—the very compounds responsible for bitterness in coffee. With less protein remaining after digestion, the resulting brew has almost no bitterness, yielding a sweeter, rounder cup. This natural ‘processing’ is similar in concept to kopi luwak, where beans are digested by civets, but the elephant’s larger stomach and different enzymes create a distinct result.

How Black Ivory Coffee Is Processed and Served

At the Anantara resort, guests can watch as the beans are hand-ground and brewed using traditional siphon methods. The coffee cherries are picked from high-altitude Thai Arabica plants, eaten by elephants, and processed after excretion. The beans are carefully sorted and sun-dried. Only 8% of the brand’s sales revenue is donated back to the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation to support its conservation and community efforts. Black Ivory is served in select locations including the Anantara’s four resorts in the Maldives, besides its home base in northern Thailand.

How Does It Compare to Kopi Luwak?

Both kopi luwak and elephant dung coffee rely on animal digestion to alter the coffee beans’ flavor and reduce bitterness. However, Black Ivory coffee costs around $1,100 per kg compared to kopi luwak’s $500–600. While both use a similar concept—animals eating and excreting beans—the enzymes and digestive systems differ, producing notably different taste profiles. Most importantly, Black Ivory is now considered the priciest and most exclusive of the two.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is elephant dung coffee?

Elephant dung coffee, branded as Black Ivory, is made from Arabica coffee beans eaten and excreted by elephants. The beans ferment in the elephant’s digestive system, which breaks down proteins and reduces bitterness, resulting in a sweet, smooth cup with flavors of milk chocolate, nuts, and spices.

Where is Black Ivory coffee produced?

Black Ivory coffee is produced at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation in Chiang Rai, Thailand, located within the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort. The beans are handpicked at high altitude, consumed by elephants, and collected from their dung before being cleaned, sorted, and roasted.

How much does elephant dung coffee cost?

Black Ivory coffee costs around $1,100 per kilogram, making it one of the most expensive coffees in the world. A single cup is typically sold for about $50.

How is it different from kopi luwak?

Both coffees are processed via animal digestion—kopi luwak uses civets, while Black Ivory uses elephants. Elephant digestion breaks down more proteins due to different enzymes, resulting in a smoother, less bitter cup. Black Ivory also costs more, at $1,100/kg compared to kopi luwak’s $500–600/kg.

Where can you buy or taste Black Ivory coffee?

Black Ivory coffee is available at four Anantara Resorts in the Maldives and at the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort in Thailand. It is not widely sold retail due to its exclusivity and production limitations.

Is the production of elephant dung coffee ethical?

The Black Ivory coffee project is run in partnership with the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, which rescues and cares for elephants. A portion of sales supports the foundation, contributing to elephant welfare and supporting local mahouts and their families.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Exotic Profiles

Try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Humbera for a wild, fruity profile reminiscent of exotic fermented coffees. This Ethiopian lot offers bright berries and floral notes, highlighting the complexity digestion can bring out in beans. For something earthy and spicy, their Yunnan Arabica brings natural sweetness with hints of spice and dried fruit—great for exploring how origin and processing shape flavor. Both beans showcase the kind of depth you’d expect from alternative processing methods. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.