How Black Ivory Coffee Is Made From Elephant Dung

If you’ve ever wondered how coffee could possibly taste smooth, chocolatey, and almost sweet—without any bitterness—you’re not alone. Many coffee lovers seek out unusual processing methods to find a cup that defies the usual bitter profile. One of the rarest and most intriguing methods involves an unexpected animal: the elephant.

Black Ivory coffee, also known as elephant dung coffee, is made from Arabica beans that have been eaten, digested, and excreted by Thai elephants. Around 33 kilograms of fresh coffee cherries are needed to produce just 1 kilogram of the final product, resulting in a price of about $1,100 per kilogram.

What Is Black Ivory Coffee?

Black Ivory coffee is a rare specialty coffee that was officially named by Canadian entrepreneur Blake Dinkin. Inspired to create a coffee that could rival or even surpass the famed Kopi Luwak (civet coffee), Dinkin spent over a decade researching and developing the concept. The result is a coffee that’s processed through the digestive system of elephants, which alters the beans in unique ways.

Why Does It Taste Different?

When coffee cherries are eaten by elephants, the beans inside pass through the animal’s digestive tract. During this journey, enzymes break down some of the proteins in the beans—the same proteins that are largely responsible for the bitter taste in regular coffee. This enzymatic action results in a smoother cup with a distinct flavor profile. Black Ivory coffee is described as having tasting notes of milk chocolate, nuts, red berries, and subtle spices, with almost no bitterness.

How Is Elephant Dung Coffee Actually Made?

The production process starts with sourcing high-quality Arabica coffee beans grown at around 1,500 meters altitude in northern Thailand. These beans are fed to elephants, who eat them as part of their diet. After the beans pass through the elephants’ digestive systems, mahouts (elephant caretakers) carefully collect the beans from the dung. Each bean is handpicked to ensure quality. The collected beans are then sun-dried and roasted, resulting in the final specialty coffee product.

The entire procedure is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Producing just 1 kilogram of Black Ivory coffee requires about 33 kilograms of fresh coffee cherries. This low yield contributes significantly to its high market price, which ranges from $1,100 per kilogram. For comparison, Kopi Luwak typically sells for $500 to $600 per kilogram.

The Origins and Development of Black Ivory Coffee

Black Ivory coffee was first introduced in 2012 by Canadian Blake Dinkin, who envisioned creating a luxury coffee experience that could compete with or exceed the existing market for civet coffee. He conducted years of research and trials across multiple countries before perfecting the method. The coffee is served in select hotels in Thailand and the Maldives, where it gained initial recognition among luxury travelers and coffee enthusiasts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is black ivory coffee?

Black Ivory coffee is a rare specialty coffee made from Arabica beans that have been consumed and excreted by elephants. The digestion process reduces bean proteins, leading to a smoother, less bitter cup with flavors of milk chocolate, nuts, and berries.

How is elephant poop coffee made?

Elephant poop coffee is made by feeding Arabica coffee cherries to elephants. After digestion, the beans are retrieved from the dung, cleaned, sun-dried, and roasted. The process is labor-intensive and results in very limited quantities of coffee.

Why does black ivory coffee not taste bitter?

The enzymes in an elephant’s digestive tract break down proteins in the coffee beans, which are a major source of bitterness in regular coffee. This leads to a smoother, naturally sweeter cup with chocolatey and fruity notes.

How much does black ivory coffee cost?

Black Ivory coffee costs approximately $1,100 per kilogram, making it one of the most expensive coffees in the world. In comparison, Kopi Luwak ranges from $500 to $600 per kilogram.

Where did black ivory coffee originate?

Black Ivory coffee was developed by Canadian Blake Dinkin and first launched in 2012. It is produced in Thailand, where elephants are fed specially selected coffee cherries as part of the process.

How many coffee cherries make one kilogram of black ivory coffee?

It takes roughly 33 kilograms of fresh coffee cherries to produce just 1 kilogram of Black Ivory coffee due to the inefficiencies and losses during digestion and collection.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Low-Bitter Coffee

For coffee drinkers who appreciate the smooth, low-bitter profile of Black Ivory coffee, try FrontStreet's Ethiopia Yirgacheffe (Gedeb), known for its bright citrus, berry, and floral notes with a gentle acidity. The Ethiopia Huakui offers intense tropical fruit and juicy sweetness with almost no bitterness. Both are light-roasted to preserve delicate aromatics and complex fruitiness. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.