Coffee from bird excrements: meet Jacu Coffee!
Exotic and deli products are not rare in the global coffee market: one of them is Jacu Coffee! An expensive, rare and controversial coffee, which has taken on "experiments" on the other side of the globe and created an extremely luxurious and delicatessen product from nowhere.
When and where Jacu Coffee originated?
A few years ago, the organic coffee farms near the Pedra Azul environmental park, at the foot of the homonymous mountain, faced an unexpected problem: the invasion of Jacu birds, who ate delicious coffee cherries. As far as controlled organic farms are concerned, coffee fruits were irrational and chemical-free, and the fact that Jacu is a protected species in Brazil has further reduced the farmers' margins of protection. The solution was given by one of the farmers, Henrique Sloper, who had recently traveled to Indonesia.
Jacu birds are a protected species in Brazil. They belong to the same family of birds as the Pheasants and their survival was strongly threatened by the destruction of the Brazilian forests: when in the first decade of the 21st century, Brazil deforested land almost the size of Greece, the government was forced to protect the Jacques , making special parks for their safe reproduction. While indulging in Indonesian coffee and exchanging views with local producers, Sloper learned a great deal about the infamous Kopi Luwak, the coffee harvested from fog. After a bit of searching and working with other farmers, Jacu Coffee was born!
How is it produced and at what level does the price of Jacu Coffee reach?
Wild Jacu are herbivores and feed, among other things, on the cherries of the coffee tree. Birds usually choose the most mature and quality cherries, but since the coffee bean cannot be broken in the bird's stomach, it is eliminated with its feces. Because of its route into the bird's digestive system, the coffee beans acquire an earthy nut flavor, often with an anise-like aftertaste. However, Jacu Coffee's bouquet of fragrances is often unpredictable, as it also depends on bird nutrition: the wild fruits consumed by Jacu affect the aromas of coffee, so it is often possible to detect intense notes of apricots, berries or even mushrooms.
How is it produced and at what level does the price of Jacu Coffee reach?
Jacu appear on coffee plantations usually near the time of harvest, when the coffee cherries are ripe. With the first light of day, the workers carefully pick up the logs and isolate the undigested coffee beans, which are thoroughly cleaned and then processed using the washed method, which highlights their particular aromas. The difficulty in processing it and its limited quantity is produced each year, resulting in Jacu coffee being sold at extremely high prices, which can reach as high as $ 1,000 per kilo - though it is even harder to find it outside Brazil.
There are, of course, many who argue that Jacu Coffee is nothing more than a commercial trick, drawing on the successful experiments of Kopi Luwak and Black Ivory Coffee. However, if you ever get the chance - maybe on a trip to Brazil - try it. Even if Brazilian logs do not excite you, you know that you will have tasted something that expires your compatriots had a chance to taste.
