Are you curious enough to try out a cup of civet cat coffee from beans taken from the animal’s poop? For many coffee aficionados, the answer is absolutely, positively yes! For many however, just the word poop is more than enough to put them off this product. But civet coffee enthusiasts say that you only have to consume it once to be converted.

Known as one of the world’s rarest and most expensive coffees, civet coffee is only made in some parts of Asia. You may know it by another name, such as kopi luwak in Indonesia, and kape alamid in the Philippines. It is so called because the beans are come from the poop of the Asian Palm Civet, also referred to as the civet cat, which is a member of the mongoose family. The civet cats eat the choicest coffee berries, and the beans are partially digested in their stomachs before being excreted whole into the ground. Since the civet cats tend to use the same locations to mark with their excrement, the farmers have no trouble finding and gathering these coffee beans. These excreted beans are then subjected to a good cleansing, and are sun-dried. Afterward, they are roasted to perfection.

Typically, civet coffee is a medley of several coffee varieties, such as Liberica, Exelsa, Robusta and Arabica beans that the animal consumed. According to one study, the enzymes in the civet cat’s digestive tract augment the flavors of the diverse coffee varieties. Those who have tasted this coffee have described it as smooth, sweet, slightly dark and chocolatey, with a unique aroma. It is said to lack the expected bitterness of other coffees.

Civet coffee is collected by hand, and taken from feces found in the wild, so only about 2000 kilos are made annually. Apparently, some efforts were made to breed the civet cats in a farm setting, but they did not produce as much, making the plan non-viable. Thus, the supply will always remain low.

Civet coffee has found a loyal following among coffee connoisseurs in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and other parts of the world. Because it is only made in limited amounts, and production can be very labor intensive, civet coffee prices can go as high as 100 dollars for 100 grams, or about $30 per cup. If you are interested in trying out some civet coffee, you can buy both ground or whole roasted beans in specialty stores, in some Asian markets, or in online stores. But beware, there are many counterfeit or adulterated civet coffee beans in the market today, so make sure to shop around for a reliable store before making a purchase.