I've been watching the "elephant feces coffee" plant known for the finest class

Speaking of coffee, it is a drink that is inspired by people all over the world, but in Thailand the world's finest coffee from elephant shit "Black · Ivory"there is. I was invited by the exciting scent, I went to the factory.

Hello!World newspaperA special reporterTaira Hiroyukiis.

I am now in the Golden Triangle (star) in Thailand. (Red line is land route, blue line moves by air route)


The origin of the Golden triangle is because three countries of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar are bordering the border on the Mekong River. In the past it was also a densely populated area of ​​drugs.


◆ To the Golden triangle
It will take about 5 hours to transfer three buses from Chiang Mai, Thailand's second largest city, via Chiang Rai and Chiang Saen. By the way, "Chen" has the meaning of "town".


When I get off the bus, I see such a big Buddha.


A river flows next to it, you can see Laos and Myanmar.


Coffee you can make from elephant shit
In Thailand there is a history of elephants and elephants living together. However, in recent years it has become more difficult to live with shows alone, so the Golden Triangle Asia Elephant Fund was established to save them.

Supporting this fund is the Anantara Hotel of the luxury hotel, which is the coffee maker Black Ivory. Black ivory company is making coffee from the elephant's feces.

Attack without appointment
I want to see it! It is a 5 star Anantara hotel.


You can see the mark of the elephant on the signboard. Here is the camp of the Golden Triangle Asia Elephant Foundation.


However, because I had no appointment, I ate a pre - payment.


I will cry the name of a special reporter when I give up here. The next day, I bought the phone number of black ivory company I barely got, and the president went out! As a result of my desperate telling in English that I was preparing, the president will guide me to the factory.

◆ Blake to face the president
Again to Anantara Hotel. Tell people in the guard that there are appointments this time ... ...


Jeep came to pick me up.


I got on the jeep and arrived at the hotel for a few minutes. Indeed, it is not a place where backpackers can stay.


Waiting while fidgeting It appeared before me that I was fresh with a refreshing shirt Brake president. It was a genuine gentleman who carefully responds to my poor English.


◆ Coffee discovered from feces
I went to the elephant camp by getting into the jeep with Blake president. Oh, there is an elephant! (Naturally, though)


There are 27 elephants in all here. Below is a child elephant of seven weeks old. When I saw it in close proximity, I found that hair and eyelashes are long.


Next to the elephant, the huts line up. There are about 20 elephants and breeders here.


And finally I found out what I wanted! No way, I did not think that the day will come when I see the poop and will be delighted.


Coffee beans are like the rabbit's feces.


◆ Elephant feces until coffee is made
1: Collect coffee cherries
Coffee beans are seeds of nuts called coffee cherries. Coffee beans selected carefully from the coffee cherries in the highlands over 1,500 m will arrive. Even if I drank it as coffee as it is, there seems to be something commented on top in Thailand.


2: Give elephants coffee beans
Give coffee beans, with rice, bananas and salt, one to two times a day as a snack.


The elephant sucks up with your nose with a sharp sound and carries it to your mouth. How oh ...... I threw in a minute! As I was taking pictures nearby, a liquid flew onto my face. Thank you for the snack of snacks.


3: digestion
It will be digested over 15 to 70 hours and will come out.


The reason for mediating the elephant is in this digestive process.
· Elephant digestive enzymes break down proteins that are bitter components of coffee.
· Natural fermentation is carried out for a long time in the stomach of the elephant, and the fragrance such as fruit moves to coffee beans.

Also here is the difference between Copi Ruak (coffee which can be made through the feces of the musk cat) known as the world's highest coffee. Musky cats are omnivorous, so it seems that there is a possibility of affecting coffee by eating dead insects and rotten garbage. However, since the elephant is herbivorous, it is not fearful.

4: Sorting
We carefully select coffee beans one by one from feces.


I also did it. Of course, with bare hands.


First of all, it is smelly, is not it? If you sniff it by direct lifting ... ... it is not smelly!


Open each fecal lump one by one and check if coffee beans are left. The amount of beans was biased by feces, so it was treated like a treasure box.


5: Cleaning
Transfer the selected coffee beans to a mortar and wash them like sharpening the rice. Continue until 4 to 5 times until the water becomes cloudy. This work in the hot weather was serious.


6: Dry
This period will be dried for about 4 days.


Move coffee beans every hour to be even.


This stick seems to be bent by an elephant.


This is a hygrometer. Check the dryness of the beans.


I can take two coffee beans above from the black seeds below. After that, it is further washed at the factory in Chiang Mai, roasted and packed at Bangkok factory.


Drink the finest coffee
This is a packed black ivory.


The inside pack is also unified in black. A good fragrance was drifting at this point.


And this is a completely refined coffee bean. I can hear whether there is no heart or dignity.


We will make a brew directly from President Blake. Can you see the elephant behind you? The elephant that comes to the terrace as a customer service is a name supporting role.


There is considerable attention to coffee makers and drinking methods, for example, temperature control was thorough. The temperature of the hot water to soak the ground beans surely was 93 ° C, the moment when I poured the coffee into the cup 75 ° C, the wait for 2 minutes to 70 ° C the coffee taste became strong 2 At last I was able to drink.

Okay, get it! Saying what it is, recently the quality of canned coffee has been rising, and there was also a thought that it might not be big difference there ... ...


good! I did not feel bitterness at all. I felt the taste of beans that became mild like chocolate, with a rich aroma of Arabica species 100% wrapped around the nostrils, reluctantly rejecting my anxiety that it will be made as coffee when the bitterness goes away, I hesitated to get away from my face.


Black IvoryBlack · Ivory's official websiteYou can purchase from. It is said that the sale in Japan is also considered in the summer of this year, the price is 1500 Baht per pack (about 5000 yen) and super high class. From here it seems to be able to make about 5 cups with an espresso size cup.

This is the receipt given from the president on the way back. 1765.5 Baht is about 5500 yen in Japanese yen. I only drink a cup (laugh).


· Statement · Interview: Kiyohiro Tsuyoshi
http://zoshiki.com/wp/

Supervision: World newspaper
Sekaishinbun.net