If you enjoy a robust cup of coffee with a rich aroma, Thailand might be the perfect place for you, especially now that an upscale hotel chain has begun offering a blend sourced from elephant dung.
The Black Ivory blend, crafted from coffee beans that have been digested and excreted by Thai elephants, claims to deliver an exceptionally smooth flavor.
However, it’s far from affordable, as Anantara Hotels states that this “naturally refined” coffee is priced at an astounding $1067 per kilogram, ranking it among the priciest blends worldwide.
“Research shows that during the digestion process, the enzymes within the elephant break down the proteins in coffee,” according to the Thai-based hotel group, which offers the aromatic brew for approximately $50 for two cups.
“Since proteins are a key contributor to coffee’s bitterness, a lower protein content results in nearly no bitterness.”
After the elephants finish digesting the coffee berries, mahouts—who are their trainers—retrieve the beans from the dung and then dry them in the sun.
This procedure takes place at the hotel’s elephant rescue center in northern Thailand, where 30 elephants reside alongside their mahouts and their families.
Black Ivory isn’t the first unique coffee blend to make its way to the market recently. Coffee processed through the civet, a tree-dwelling mammal found in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia, is sold at a comparable price.
by Sasha Dubronitz
