Black Ivory - The most expensive coffee in the world
News News blog
Experienced coffee lovers may think that Kopi Luwak cat coffee is the most expensive coffee in the world. But that's not quite true. Black Ivory coffee from Thailand surpasses it in terms of price and exclusivity.
What makes Black Ivory so special?
Similar to Kopi Luwak, the coffee cherries in Black Ivory are also consumed by animals. While Kopi Luwak is eaten by spotted musangs, Black Ivory is eaten by elephants. These elephants live in Chiang Saen, Thailand. After the coffee cherries have been eaten and partially digested, they are excreted, carefully collected and roasted.
The digestion process of the coffee cherries takes between 15 and 70 hours. During this time, enzymes reduce the bitterness of the beans. At the same time, fermentation ensures that the sugar in the cherries is transferred to the bean. The result is a coffee that tastes less bitter and sweeter - a real treat for coffee connoisseurs.
Ethics and animal welfare - a crucial difference
In our article about Kopi Luwak we have already mentioned animal welfare issues. Many spotted musangs are now kept in cages and fed almost exclusively with coffee cherries to produce the valuable Kopi Luwak.
With Black Ivory coffee, on the other hand, the process does not harm the elephants. The elephants come from the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation organisation, and 8% of sales go directly to this foundation. This money is used to provide the elephants with medical care. There are 26 elephants living on the farm, 18 of which have been rescued. 1 kilogramme of Black Ivory costs around €1,800.
