Posted on 12/07/2012 9:06:41 PM PST by nickcarraway
A Canadian entrepreneur said his $500-per-pound coffee is made by plucking the beans from the dung of a herd of elephants in Thailand.
Blake Dinkin, 42, proprietor of Black Ivory Coffee, said the beans are fed to elephants at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation then later plucked from their dung, Sky News reported Friday.
"When an elephant eats coffee, its stomach acid breaks down the protein found in coffee, which is a key factor in bitterness," Dinkin said. "You end up with a cup that's very smooth without the bitterness of regular coffee."
John Roberts, director of elephants at the foundation, said the coffee does not harm the animals.
"As far as we can tell there is definitely no harm to the elephants," he said.
The foundation receives 8 percent of the profits from sales of the coffee, which goes toward healthcare for the elephants.
This is the single most stupid thing I have read in my entire life.
More stupid than Marxism?
Mayhap I can donate my body ... feed me raw coffee beans, dig them out of my feces and give me a cut of the profits. Easy money.
Great. Now I regret posting this...
I've passed on the opportunity to try it, but after watching the civets carefully pick the beans, I'm sure they are on to something.
I would expect elephants are eating the coffee beans, bushes, leaves, and Abdul on a pretty wholesale level.
/johnny
Good post! It convinced me to stick with the "bitterness."
My limited understanding is that unless you are an herbivore with a gut set up for it... digesting the berries can be... somewhat distressing. Not only to you, but those around you.
/johnny
So much for my dreams. Thanks for bursting my bubble. May your morning coffee be from a giraffe. ;-)
Mmmmmmmm smooth with just a hint of earthy-ness.
Home roasted and ground.
For less than $6 a pound. ;)
/johnny
Over the years I have regretted posting many things, I got over them. However, your post is not something to regret, I find it novel, uplifting and funny ... doesn’t happen often in FR.
Loved the Article.
/johnny
I get my coffee wholesale, the cheapest crap I can buy. Load it down with artificial cow and I’m good to go. I’m after the caffeine hit not the taste. Thats just me.
Wonder what a bunch of mice would do to elephants on too much caffeine.
Marketing campaign could be an industrious little dung beetle prospering on the wonderful caffeinated product that drops from above.
Mmmmm, yummy.
I thought it was interesting, thanks for posting.
So what do they call it? S**tbucks?
/johnny
*yikes* and people raz me about drinking eight o’clock bean.
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