Kopi Luwak is one of the rarest and possibly one of the most
expensive gourmet coffee beans in the world. However there is a
catch. It is made from the excrements of an Indonesian cat-like
creature called the Luwak; an animal that eats only the ripest
coffee cherries but is unable to digest beans inside them which
come out whole in its excrement. Indonesians insist the resultant
coffee beans are unique because the stomach acids and enzymes
that perform the fermentation of the beans give the coffee a
special aroma.
This process takes place on the islands of Sumatra, Java and
Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago and has an expensive
price tag of anywhere between US $120 – $300 per pound.
Puffin Heart - Iceland
The puffin is often referred to as the ‘clown of the ocean’ or ‘sea
parrot’ and with its colourful beak and clumsy behaviour, is
considered an adorable bird. In Iceland, however, these seabirds
have been a source of sustenance for Icelanders on the islands
for centuries and ‘sky fishing’ is a popular sport (specially in the
Westman Islands) that involves catching these low flying birds in
a big net. The heart of a puffin is eaten raw whilst it is still warm
in traditional Icelandic delicacy.
The puffin’s neck is first broken and then the bird is skinned. After
that, the fresh heart is eaten raw. Mind you, this is considered to
be a sought-after delicacy and often also smoked, grilled or
pan-fried.
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