Are coffee beans really made from cat poop?

The origin and production process of coffee beans

Coffee beans are a widely consumed food product that are extracted from the fruits of the coffee tree. These fruits are often called "coffee cherries" because of their bright red or yellow color when ripe. However, there is a myth that coffee beans are actually made from cat poop.

The legendary cat poop coffee

In some places, there is a special type of coffee called "cat poop coffee". This term comes from a special variety called "Indonesian Black King Kong" produced in areas such as Indonesia and the Philippines. The raw materials used in this variety are cherries that are picked from the forest and then excreted in an undigested state after being collected, fermented and washed.

The truth: It's not just the "cat shit" that matters, quality is

However, most commercially produced coffee beans sold into formal marketing channels for use in global markets are not made from cat poop. In fact, these coffee beans are obtained through traditional planting, picking and processing processes.

In the formal market sales channels, the quality and origin of coffee beans are very important. High-quality coffee beans usually come from high-quality soil, suitable climate conditions, and are carefully selected and processed. These beans can only maintain their original flavor and aroma after strictly controlling the fermentation and roasting process.

From fruit to roast: making coffee beans

Let's take a look at a typical coffee production process in the formal market sales channel:

1. Picking: When the cherries are ripe, farmers pick them from the trees by hand or with the help of machines.

2. Peeling: The cherry has a layer of flesh on the outside that surrounds the seeds inside (which will become what we call "coffee beans") called the "endosperm". Peeling can be done by wet or dry methods.

3. Fermentation: In wet processing, the seeds are fermented in water for a period of time to remove the remaining pulp. In dry processing, the cherries are dried in the sun until the pulp is dry and then peeled.

4. Roasting: After fermentation and washing, the coffee beans need to be roasted. This process will make the coffee beans fragile and release their unique aroma and flavor.

in conclusion

In short, coffee beans are not made from cat poop. Although there are special types of coffee varieties in some regions that use animal excrement as raw materials, these are only rare exceptions and are not representative of the entire coffee industry.

Most of the coffee beans produced and sold to the global market through formal market sales channels are obtained through traditional planting, picking and processing processes. Therefore, when buying and tasting delicious coffee, we should pay more attention to factors such as its quality, origin and roasting.