Coffee Alamid
Of all the coffee produced in the word, there is nothing more rare and expensive than the alamid coffee from the Philippines. But if you think this coffee comes from the usual sources, think again. The alamid coffee actually comes from the droppings of the Civet, a common cat like mammal related to the mongoose which is considered a pest by the Filipino farmers, but are also hunted for their meat.
Civets are carnivorous mammals but they do eat the red coffee cherries that contain the beans which they are fond of. The consumed coffee cherries the pass through the civet whole after fermenting in the stomach and that’s what gives the coffee its exquisite taste and aroma. Local farmers have discovered that their droppings are worth their weigh in gold but its very hard to gather the beans from their droppings since they have to trek through the mountains and the thick undergrowth just to be able to gather the coffee droppings.
Once gathered, the beans are then carefully washed and left to dry in the wind and later to be packaged and mostly exported. Although the alamid coffee does have it’s charm and exquisite taste, like any other specialty coffee, it’s not everyones cup of tea. Some people might have trouble drinking it especially if they learned where the coffee comes from.
