How Elephant Dung Coffee Became More Expensive Than Civet Coffee

If you’ve ever wondered why some coffees cost more than a fancy dinner, the answer might involve an animal’s digestive system. For years, civet coffee—made from beans eaten and excreted by civets—held the title of the world’s most expensive and bizarre brew. But today, there’s a new contender that’s both pricier and arguably stranger: coffee that’s passed through an elephant.

The answer is clear: Black Ivory coffee, made from beans eaten by Thai elephants, sells for $13 per cup—about 81 yuan—or $1,100 per kilogram, over twice the price of civet coffee. Each serving is the result of a complex, labor-intensive process that turns a wild animal’s digestion into a luxury beverage.

What Is Elephant Dung Coffee?

Elephant dung coffee, marketed under the brand name Black Ivory, starts with carefully selected Arabica beans. These are not just any beans—they’re handpicked by local women from mountainous regions in northern Thailand. The beans are then mixed with the elephants’ usual vegetarian diet, including bananas and sugarcane, before being eaten. This diet contributes to the coffee’s unique fruity and earthy undertones.

How Does Elephant Digestion Change the Coffee?

The magic—or science—behind the flavor lies in the elephant’s digestive system. According to Canadian entrepreneur Blake Dinkin, who developed the coffee, elephant stomach acid breaks down proteins in the coffee beans during the roughly 17 hours the beans spend in the digestive tract. Since coffee bitterness largely comes from proteins, this digestion process removes much of the harsh, bitter edge found in regular coffee. The larger elephant stomach also allows for more thorough breakdown compared to the Asian palm civet’s digestive system used in civet coffee.

How Is Black Ivory Coffee Made?

The production of Black Ivory coffee is elaborate. Local tribal women harvest ripe Arabica coffee cherries. These beans are then fed to elephants along with their regular food—bananas and sugarcane—to infuse the beans with additional flavor compounds. After being consumed, the beans ferment in the elephant’s gut for approximately 17 hours and are eventually excreted. The resulting beans are collected, cleaned, and roasted. The final cup offers notes of caramel and chocolate, with a smooth mouthfeel and no bitter aftertaste. The entire process is time-consuming and labor-intensive, involving both animal husbandry and manual sorting.

What Does Elephant Dung Coffee Taste Like?

Drinkers report that Black Ivory coffee has a smooth, almost syrupy body with hints of chocolate and caramel. There’s also an earthy, almost soil-like quality contributed by the bananas and sugarcane in the elephants’ diet. Unlike traditional coffee, it lacks the intense bitterness typically associated with coffee acids and proteins, thanks to the protein breakdown in the elephant’s stomach.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes elephant dung coffee different from regular coffee?

Elephant dung coffee is made from beans that have been eaten and digested by elephants. The digestive process breaks down proteins in the beans, which reduces bitterness and creates a smoother, less acidic cup. The beans also absorb flavors from the elephants’ food, such as bananas and sugarcane, adding fruity and earthy notes.

How much does Black Ivory coffee cost?

Black Ivory coffee costs $13 per cup, which is about 81 yuan, and $1,100 per kilogram. This is more than double the price of civet coffee, making it one of the most expensive coffees in the world.

Why is elephant coffee more expensive than civet coffee?

Black Ivory coffee is more expensive due to its longer fermentation time (around 17 hours), the complexity of sourcing and feeding the beans to elephants, and the labor involved in collecting and processing the excreted beans. The unique flavor profile and limited production also contribute to the higher price.

How is the coffee collected from the elephants?

After the elephants eat the coffee beans mixed with bananas and sugarcane, the beans ferment in their digestive system for about 17 hours. The beans are then excreted naturally. Workers collect the beans from the elephant dung, clean them thoroughly, and roast them to produce the final coffee product.

Who created Black Ivory coffee and where is it produced?

Black Ivory coffee was created by Canadian businessman Blake Dinkin. It is produced in northern Thailand, where local tribespeople harvest the Arabica beans and feed them to elephants under a carefully managed process.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Exotic Coffee Fans

Try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Yirgacheffe for a bright, floral cup with citrus and stone fruit—great for exploring how origin and processing shape flavor. Or try their Guatemala Antigua for a heavier body with chocolate and spice, showing how traditional fermentation compares to elephant digestion. Both highlight how terroir and processing create unique profiles. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.