How Much Does Elephant Dung Coffee Cost Per Gram?

If you’ve ever wondered why some coffees cost over a thousand dollars per kilogram, the answer might involve elephants—not just their size, but their digestive systems. One famously expensive coffee, known as ‘elephant dung coffee’ or ‘black ivory,’ is produced through an elaborate natural process involving Asian elephants. But what exactly makes it so costly, and how does digestion turn bitter coffee into something smooth and sweet?

The short answer: Black ivory coffee, made from beans excreted by Thai elephants, sells for around $1,100 per kilogram (or roughly $1.10 per gram). That’s more than double the price of top-grade kopi luwak, which ranges from $500 to $600 per kg. Only 1 kg of coffee is produced from around 33 kg of fresh beans fed to the elephants.

What Is Elephant Dung Coffee?

Elephant dung coffee—marketed under names like ‘black ivory’ or ‘’ in Chinese—is a rare specialty coffee made from beans that have passed through the digestive tract of Asian elephants. Unlike traditional coffee processing, these beans are eaten whole, along with other vegetation, by elephants. Inside the elephant’s stomach, enzymes break down proteins in the coffee beans, which are a major source of bitterness in regular coffee. The result? A cup that’s described as smooth, low in bitterness, and rich with flavours of milk chocolate, nuts, red berries, and subtle spices.

How Elephant Dung Coffee Is Made

The production process behind elephant dung coffee is extremely labour-intensive and begins with hand-picking high-quality Arabica coffee cherries. These are then mixed with bananas, sugarcane, and other elephant-friendly fruits to encourage the elephants to eat them. According to the coffee’s creator, Canadian entrepreneur Blake Dinkin, who runs operations in northern Thailand, this diet helps infuse the beans with additional fruity and earthy undertones during digestion.

Once the elephants consume the cherries, their digestive systems naturally ferment and break down the beans. The enzymes reduce the protein content—key to reducing bitterness—and alter the bean’s structure. After the beans are excreted, they’re carefully collected, thoroughly washed, and sent to Bangkok for the final roasting stage. The entire procedure, from fruit selection to roasted bean, is designed to create a uniquely smooth and complex cup profile.

Why Is Elephant Dung Coffee So Expensive?

There are several reasons for the sky-high price tag. First, it takes approximately 33 kg of fresh coffee cherries to produce just 1 kg of elephant dung coffee. Many beans are lost because elephants chew them, spit them out, or hide them in the grass. The low yield is a major factor. Additionally, the process requires hiring local hill tribe women to hand-pick the best coffee cherries, feeding the elephants a special diet, and then collecting, cleaning, and roasting the beans—all by hand.

Blake Dinkin has reportedly invested $300,000 into developing the product. Each step of the process is time-consuming and inefficient, and the reliance on the digestive systems of wild elephants adds both unpredictability and cost. As Dinkin jokes, elephants are “inefficient workers,” making just a tiny fraction of usable beans from what they’re fed.

How Elephant Dung Coffee Compares to Kopi Luwak

Until recently, kopi luwak—or civet coffee—held the title of the world’s most expensive coffee, often sold at $500–$600 per kg. But black ivory coffee has surpassed it, now retailing for around $1,100 per kg. Both coffees rely on animal digestion to alter the coffee bean’s flavour profile, but elephants have larger stomachs and a more complex digestive process, which some believe leads to a smoother and more nuanced cup. Unlike kopi luwak, which is made from beans eaten and excreted by civet cats, elephant dung coffee also involves a more varied diet, contributing additional flavour complexity.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does black ivory coffee cost?

Black ivory coffee, also known as elephant dung coffee, is priced at approximately $1,100 per kilogram, which equates to around $1.10 per gram. This makes it significantly more expensive than most specialty coffees and even more costly than top-tier kopi luwak, which ranges from $500 to $600 per kg.

What does elephant dung coffee taste like?

Elephant-digested coffee is known for being low in bitterness and features tasting notes of milk chocolate, nuts, red berries, and light spices. The digestive process breaks down proteins that typically cause harshness, resulting in a smoother, more rounded cup.

How is elephant dung coffee made?

The coffee is made by feeding specially selected Arabica coffee cherries to Asian elephants, along with fruits like bananas and sugarcane. The beans pass through the elephant’s digestive system, where enzymes reduce the protein content and alter the bean’s flavour. The beans are then excreted, collected, cleaned, and roasted to create the final product.

Why is elephant dung coffee more expensive than kopi luwak?

Black ivory coffee costs more than kopi luwak due to its lower production yield—just 1 kg of coffee is made from around 33 kg of fresh beans—as well as the cost of sourcing, feeding elephants, and hand-collecting the beans. Blake Dinkin also invested heavily in developing the product, adding to its premium price.

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

It takes roughly 33 kilograms of fresh coffee cherries to produce 1 kilogram of elephant dung coffee. Many beans are lost in the process due to being chewed, lost, or not fully digested by the elephants.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Chocolate Lovers

If you enjoy the creamy chocolate and nutty profile of elephant dung coffee, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Brazil Queen Manor for its balanced notes of peanut, caramel, and soft acidity. For deeper chocolate tones, the Colombia-dominated Specialty Blend brings almond, walnut, and milk chocolate richness with silky crema—great for espresso. Alternatively, the Papua New Guinea single origin offers bright citrus layered with toast and cocoa. All are available freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.