Cafe Alamid/Philippine Civet Coffee

Our country's pride Cafe Alamid is fetching up to $1k++ per kilo outside our country. So last weekend in Baguio's public market, while we were buying Benguet coffee to take home, I saw tin cans of the most coveted coffee all over the world and asked the merchant how much.For this smallest can of 25 grams, it's P1,200 ($25+), a kilo would be around $500+. Not bad, afterall, it's found, picked, roasted in our own country, so we deserve to get it cheaper than those foreign coffee connoisseurs.

Did I buy it? No. But cuzin from Davao did. First of all, I'm not a coffee drinker. I only buy coffee for my father. Second of all, my gosh!, it's still P1,200 for what a small tin can of coffee. Might as well, bring the whole family to Starbucks and buy each a tall glass of fraps for that amount. hahaha! You know I'm too cheap to afford that. I bought Benguet coffee for P80 only.



So anyway, upon endorsing it to rich cuzin, she didn't think twice and purchased the trial size can for P1,200. Anyway, she could definitely afford it and she's a 100% coffee addict! why not! So it came with a certificate of authenticity and a pin.

Yes, a pin to puncture pinhole on center bottom of the can so it would release pressure to make it easier to open. She noticed the pin late, she had already opened the can before she  read the certificate and saw the pin.

When it was opened (back to the hotel), we were all pleasantly surprised by the deliciously sinful aroma of coffee. The beans were also larger and more distinct compared to the other coffee beans I've seen my father had brewed.

For those who don't know yet ( have you not watched a delayed telecast/replays of Oprah's mentioning this type of coffee? which I guess what made this coffee so popularly expensive all over the world, thank you Oprah!) Cafe Alamid beans are poop of Philippine civet, locally known as alamid which I think is from the cat family. The process starts with the gift of smell of this animal which able to pick the ripest and finest berries. The alamid would stuff itself with these special find berries and excrete them the following morning. In Indonesia, this coffee is called Kopi Luwak and it's being produced by Indonesian civet.



So there we were, coffee drinker or not. Everyone was enticed by the alluring smell of Cafe Alamid. We were ready to taste it! But wait. . family how could we? The beans were not grind! We were at the hotel on our last hour before we checked-out, and neither there was a coffee maker in the room.
By now Sylv is back in Davao and might be_ had already tasted it herself. Now, I have to buy myself an expensive cup of this precious coffee in a coffee shop.. .or shall I wait for your kindness to treat me a cup of this? That would be better;)