What Is Elephant Dung Coffee and Why Is It So Expensive?

You’ve heard of civet coffee—but have you ever wondered what really makes animal-processed coffee so costly? When you search for the most expensive coffee in the world, outdated lists still point to kopi luwak. But there’s a newer, pricier contender that few people know about: elephant dung coffee, also known as ‘black ivory’.

The retail price for black ivory coffee is $1,100 per kilogram—or roughly $50 per cup—making it the most expensive animal-processed coffee available today, surpassing even the famed civet coffee.

What Is Elephant Dung Coffee?

Elephant dung coffee, commonly referred to as 'black ivory', is produced in northern Thailand, specifically at the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort in Chiang Rai. This unique coffee is made from Arabica beans that have been eaten and digested by elephants, then collected from their dung. The entire process gives the beans a distinctive flavor profile unlike any other coffee.

How Is It Made?

To make black ivory coffee, ripe Arabica coffee cherries are hand-picked from trees growing at elevations of around 1,500 meters. These cherries are then fed to elephants. Inside the elephant’s digestive system, enzymes break down the proteins in the coffee beans. This enzymatic action reduces bitterness, resulting in a smoother, less acidic cup. On average, producing just 1 kilogram of roasted black ivory coffee requires around 33 kilograms of fresh coffee cherries. Each kilogram of roasted coffee contains approximately 10,000 individual beans.

Why Is It So Expensive?

The extreme price of black ivory coffee comes from its labor-intensive and low-yield production process. Elephants are fed the coffee cherries, but they don’t digest the beans completely—only partially. The beans are then carefully collected from the elephants’ dung, cleaned, and roasted. The entire procedure is time-consuming, requires a large volume of raw cherries, and depends on the natural digestive behavior of elephants. Additionally, only a limited quantity is produced: as of 2012, there were only 50 kilograms of black ivory coffee available for sale worldwide. The coffee is sold by the Anantara Golden Triangle hotel, which was the first establishment to offer it commercially.

How Does It Compare to Kopi Luwak?

While kopi luwak (civet coffee) is often cited as the most expensive coffee, black ivory coffee surpasses it both in price and exclusivity. Kopi luwak typically retails for $500 to $600 per kilogram, or about $30 per cup, while black ivory coffee is priced at $1,100 per kilogram, equating to around $50 per cup. The unique digestion process through elephants—not civets—also contributes to a different flavor complexity, with reports highlighting a lack of bitterness due to protein breakdown during digestion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is elephant poop coffee called?

Elephant poop coffee is commonly known as 'black ivory' coffee. It is also referred to as elephant dung coffee. The name 'black ivory' highlights both the rare and refined nature of the coffee, drawing a parallel to the value of ivory while emphasizing its dark color after roasting.

How much does elephant dung coffee cost?

Elephant dung coffee, or black ivory coffee, costs $1,100 per kilogram. This translates to roughly $50 per brewed cup, making it the most expensive animal-processed coffee in the world as of the reported data.

How is elephant dung coffee made?

Black ivory coffee is made by feeding coffee cherries to elephants. The beans pass through the elephant’s digestive system, where enzymes break down proteins, reducing bitterness. The beans are then collected from the dung, cleaned, and roasted. Approximately 33 kilograms of fresh coffee cherries are needed to produce 1 kilogram of roasted black ivory coffee.

Why is elephant coffee so expensive?

Elephant coffee is expensive due to the complex and low-yield production process. It requires feeding coffee cherries to elephants, collecting beans from their dung, cleaning them, and roasting. The process is labor-intensive, yields very few beans per kilogram of cherries, and relies on the natural behavior of elephants. Only 50 kilograms were available for sale in 2012, adding to its rarity and cost.

Is elephant coffee better than kopi luwak?

Elephant coffee is considered rarer and more expensive than kopi luwak (civet coffee). While kopi luwak costs about $500–$600 per kilogram, black ivory coffee costs $1,100 per kilogram. The digestion process through elephants also results in unique flavor characteristics, such as reduced bitterness, though taste is subjective.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Specialty Coffee Lovers

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