How Elephant Dung Coffee Is Made After Kopi Luwak

You’ve probably heard of kopi luwak—the world’s most expensive coffee, made from beans eaten and excreted by civets. But have you heard of the similar, lesser-known elephant dung coffee from Northern Thailand? This curious brew follows a nearly identical process, but with elephants instead of civets. The result? A coffee said to be smoother, less bitter, and oddly dessert-like. But how does feeding coffee beans to an elephant actually change the flavor? And is it really worth the effort?

It takes around 33 kilograms of raw coffee beans to produce just 1 kilogram of elephant dung coffee. That’s because the beans pass through an elephant’s digestive system for roughly 17 hours, where stomach acid and fermentation break down much of the bitterness—resulting in a cup with sweet, caramel-like and chocolatey undertones.

What Is Elephant Dung Coffee?

Elephant dung coffee, also known as “black ivory coffee” in some markets, is made by feeding coffee cherries to elephants. The beans are mixed with rice, bananas, and other foods to encourage the elephants to eat them. After the elephants digest the fruit, they excrete the beans, which are then collected, cleaned, and roasted. The process is labor-intensive and rare, but it has gained attention for producing a uniquely smooth cup.

Why Does It Taste Different?

The key difference lies in digestion. As the coffee cherries are broken down in the elephant’s stomach for about 17 hours, natural fermentation occurs. Stomach acids and enzymes break down proteins in the beans that are typically responsible for bitterness. What remains is a bean with a mellower flavor profile—often described as having hints of caramel, chocolate, and even a slight nuttiness. Unlike harsher cups, this coffee tends to finish smoothly, with reduced acidity and little to no astringency.

How Elephant Dung Coffee Is Made: Step by Step

The production involves several specific steps:

• Harvesting: Only ripe, high-quality coffee cherries are hand-picked.
• Mixing: The coffee cherries are blended with bananas and rice to make them more appealing to elephants.
• Feeding: The mixture is fed to elephants, ensuring they consume the coffee cherries along with the other food.
• Digestion: The beans remain in the elephant’s stomach for approximately 17 hours, undergoing fermentation.
• Collection: The beans are excreted in the elephant’s dung and carefully collected.
• Cleaning: The beans are thoroughly washed to remove any remaining waste.
• Roasting: Finally, the beans are roasted like normal coffee beans before brewing.

It takes around 33 kilograms of coffee cherries to yield just 1 kilogram of finished elephant dung coffee, highlighting the inefficiency—and luxury—of the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is elephant dung coffee different from kopi luwak?

Both are made from coffee beans eaten and excreted by animals, but elephant dung coffee uses elephants while kopi luwak uses civets. The longer digestive process in elephants (about 17 hours) compared to civets leads to a different flavor profile, often described as smoother and more chocolatey or caramel-like in elephant coffee.

Why does the digestive process reduce bitterness?

During digestion, stomach acids and enzymes break down proteins in the coffee bean that cause bitterness. This natural fermentation process in the elephant’s gut alters the chemical structure of the beans, resulting in a smoother, less acidic cup.

How many coffee beans are needed to make a small batch of elephant dung coffee?

To produce just 1 kilogram of elephant dung coffee, around 33 kilograms of raw coffee beans are required. This is due to the inefficiency of the process and the fact that not all fed beans are recovered or suitable afterward.

Does elephant dung coffee actually taste like chocolate or caramel?

Yes, according to reports, the coffee often has a sweet, smooth flavor with notes of caramel, chocolate, and sometimes nuts. The fermentation process in the elephant’s stomach is believed to develop these dessert-like characteristics, reducing the typical bitterness found in standard coffees.

Is elephant dung coffee ethical to produce?

The article does not address the ethics of elephant dung coffee production, such as animal welfare or working conditions. Readers should research those aspects independently if considering the product’s broader impact.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Chocolate Lovers

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