Vietnam’s Counterfeit Civet Coffee
“[T]here is a growing market in fake civet beans. One example widely peddled at outdoor markets is made with artificial fragrances that bear little resemblance to the drink’s actual bold taste. Larger coffee chains, however, produce a more sophisticated beverage using biotechnology, isolating an enzyme similar to that in the civet’s stomach that ferments the beans, and then mixing it with chocolate powder to add authenticity to its aroma. In Buon Me Thuot, the province’s capital and the coffee capital of Vietnam, nearly every market-stall vendor claims to sell the weasel beans, often asking for at least $100 per kilogram. Local customers, once relentless in their search for the real thing, now often settle for the knock-offs.”
For more about the expensive coffee made from collecting poop from the civet cat that is being knocked-off and sold in Vietnam click here.
