Coffee from a Civet Cat’s Droppings

The Philippines produces one of the world's most expensive and coveted kinds of coffee. It comes from the droppings of a nocturnal, cat-like animal called the palm civet.

Civet cats have a taste for the sweet, red coffee cherries that contain the beans. The beans pass through the civet whole after fermenting in the stomach and that's what gives the coffee its unique taste and aroma. 

The droppings collected into two containers – one for the old ones, which resemble chalky beans, and one for the fresh ones, which look like yellow beans in gravy.  Gravy…?? No, best not ask.

The beans are rinsed in forest streams (at least that's a relief!) and then dried. It goes through some kind of natural processing, which makes it oily and aromatic, with an exceptionally good flavour….like fermented plum and dark chocolate with hazelnuts.

And I though they said "you can't pooh pooh things before you try them".

Hmmm…  Should I add it to my list of sustainable, alternative livelihoods for promoting to upland communities, I wonder ? 

Strange Things to Eat

Some of the foods found if the Philippines are strange, exotic or weird to European tastes.   

Durian 

Philippinos are particularly fond of coaxing foreigners into eating durian.  Durian is a large spiky fruit which is opened up and the slimy white coating of the seeds inside is then sucked or chewed off the seeds. 

The local saying is that durian "tastes like heaven but smells like hell". 

Hotels have notices on their check-in desks banning guests from bringing durian into the hotel,and airlines also ban passengers from transporting it. All because they know they will not be able to rid the room or the plane of the stink afterwards. 

I have tried it and although it doesn't taste too offensive I can't say I thought it tasted very good. I believe it's an acquired taste.  However it is a sort of 'initiation' foreigners are expected to go through, and the locals always really appreciate if you give it a try. I do have one advantage in eating durian – I have a very poor sense of smell !

Lechon Baboy 

Much more palatable is the local delicacy which is found at all major parties or celebrations – lechon baboy.  This is basically a whole roasted pig, skewered on a large pole and cooked over a fire.  I think the skin is glazed with a sugary substance as it is always a very golden orange colour and beautifully crispy.  

Balot Pinoy 

Incubated duck eggs (balot pinoy) are also a great favourite here.  The eggs are incubated to let the duckling embryo develop and then eaten. You can buy them at different stages of inclubation, with those which are incubated for the longest being all feathered and crunchy. The whole thing is eaten (except the shell). 

Waste not, Want Not 

 

 

 

 

Very little of an animal is wasted here.  When you see chicken for sale in the market, it will often be split up into the crown (breast), legs, feet, the head, and the intestine.  All is eaten.   The little street barbecues that you find everywhere almost always have chicken entrails on a skewer, and chicken heads on a skewer, all waiting to be barbeced.

Doggy Doggy  

Dog is also eaten here, mainly by the indigenous people for whom it is a traditional food.  There is a lot of fokelore about its health-giving properties.  I saw a dead dog hung up on Christmas Eve, being prepared for the table by having all the hair singed off.   

Baboy Ritual  

My husband Bill and I once attended a traditional ritual by the Manobo people in which a pig was traditionally slaughtered and then cooked for the whole village.

I must admit I was apprehensive before hand, expecting lots of struggling and squealing and gore  However I was to be surprised at how quickly and efficently the pig was killed by a long sharp knife skillfully inserted into the jugular vein.

The whole village then gathered and a ritual was gone through involving 'gifts' of food to the spirits, before everyone joined in eating the pig. Nothing was wasted – even the blood is collected and made into a kind of soup/stew dish.