Taipei, Nov. 10 (CNA) Indonesia's high-end Kopi Luwak was the big attraction at a coffee tasting event held by the country's representative office in Taipei on Tuesday, which attracted some 80 coffee lovers.
Made from the droppings of the Asian palm civet commonly known as the toddy cat, Luwak coffee was one of several brands on display at the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office (IETO) in the city's Neihu District.
"We believe that the market for Indonesia coffee is wide open, because Taiwanese coffee lovers like to try new products and tastes," said Arif Sulistiyo, director of the IETO's Trade Department. "So we will try to show the uniqueness and tell the stories behind each type of coffee bean."
Of the world's leading coffee makers, Indonesia exports 495,000 tonnes of the 795,000 tonnes it produces annually, according to IETO Representative Budi Santoso.
Tuesday's coffee tasting event attracted about 80 people, mostly Indonesian and Taiwanese, who sampled the popular Mandheling coffee and the rare Luwak coffee, both from Sumatra, as well as several other brands from various regions of Indonesia.
Peter Masyuni from a coffee company called EOE Indonesia, told CNA that his Luwak coffee is made from the droppings of wild civets, rather than caged ones.
"I love animals … and when we opened EOE Indonesia, the one thing we wanted to do was preserve the environment, and caging the luwak is not part of that," said Masyuni, who was invited to Taiwan by the IETO.
Kopi Luwak is made from coffee cherries eaten, partially digested and defecated by the Asian palm civet, which is native to South and Southeast Asia.
One of the coffee lovers at Tuesday's event, a Taiwanese woman who identified herself only as Cynthia, said she found the Luwak coffee to be very smooth on the palate, with a sweet aftertaste.
According to Masyuni, Kopi Luwak is one of the most expensive coffees in the world, selling at US$300 (NT$8,568) to US$1,000 per kilogram, depending on the source from which it is purchased in the supply chain.
The IETO is planning to showcase Indonesian products again at the 2020 Taiwan International Coffee Show, scheduled for Nov. 13-16 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.
"Coffee is making its mark in Taiwan culture, as more and more Taiwanese are drinking it," Budi said. "Indonesia coffee is also making a name for itself among Taiwanese."
Indonesia is Taiwan's fifth largest supplier of coffee products, supplying some US$13.5 million worth so far this year, according to statistics from Taiwan's Bureau of Foreign Trade, valid as of September.
