Local Coffee Recommendations

[Mike S]

Haha! Now that I think of it, the Civet did taste like Instant....

Thanks Bob ..... now I can't enjoy my instant coffee ...... keep thinking of the Civet poo and your remark about it tasting like instant coffee ...... :tiphat:

[chrisandging]

I live in Cavite, the local coffee is exceptional! i buy Arabica beans in Mahogany market (Tagaytay) P380/Kg.I keep them sealed in the fridge and Grind every couple of days (mornings are when coffee is needed urgently, certainly not the time for fannying around with a grinder)Anyway one of the local producers is called "Gourmet" it might be worth trying their Beans. i have seen them on sale in Rustans.When i lived in Cebu i bought "Folgers" coffee from Metro gaisano in Ayala. The price for a 39oz container was normally about P600. Every so often they would sell larger 52oz containers for P600, never did figure out why, just bought all i could afford and remembered where i was!

[i am bob]

I live in Cavite, the local coffee is exceptional! i buy Arabica beans in Mahogany market (Tagaytay) P380/Kg.I keep them sealed in the fridge and Grind every couple of days (mornings are when coffee is needed urgently, certainly not the time for fannying around with a grinder)Anyway one of the local producers is called "Gourmet" it might be worth trying their Beans. i have seen them on sale in Rustans.When i lived in Cebu i bought "Folgers" coffee from Metro gaisano in Ayala. The price for a 39oz container was normally about P600. Every so often they would sell larger 52oz containers for P600, never did figure out why, just bought all i could afford and remembered where i was!

Sounds like I"m gonna have to try this place out once I get there!As for Folgers? I liked it when I was a kid but now it tastes (to me) what Civet should taste like.... I really don't like it at all! Maybe it's the water? Nah! Didn't like it in Nova Scotia, Ontario, New York, Boston, Cleveland....

[Tatoosh]

Folgers, Maxwell House, Nescafe and all those big brands of mid-century North America were serving the Robusta variety of coffee. We all drank it because we didn't have many other options or know any better. I started drinking coffee when I was delivering RV vehicles from their manufacturer in northern Iowa to the dealers around the country. Then I ended up in the Navy as a radioman and we did our fair share of "port and starboard" watches guarding the radio. I did a fair amount of coffee from the mess deck then too. But I ended up in the Northwest in time for the big blossoming of Starbucks and with them, other coffee houses. While some people diss Starbucks, and I will admit their business practices toward competitors sucks, their products generally don't. And they really kicked the USA out of the coffee backwaters and showed us a whole world of flavors we never knew about, well most of us anyway. Chrisandging, thanks for mentioning the coffee. If I have the opportunity I sure look forward to trying some.

[Old55]

Chrisandging thank you for the tip I'll check it out next trip. :hystery: I live near Seattle and drink Starbucks black not the foo-foo junk.Sorry to have hijacked the topic.

[Mike S]

Hummmmmm .... just thought I would toss this in here for those that are on a rather tight budget ....... if $10 a cup sounds to high than try this ........ " Folks also used to make coffee from roasted acorns, yams and a variety of local grains." ........ yum .. yum .. yum ....... now where did I put that Civet poo .......... :no: :hystery: :hystery:Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a hardy perennial that was brought to North America from Europe in the 1700s, and is now well-established across the continent. Though chicory has a variety of uses, it's best known for its association with coffee.At many points through history, coffee has become unavailable or too costly. During these times, people have often turned to roasted chicory as a substitute. Folks also used to make coffee from roasted acorns, yams and a variety of local grains. Anything was better than going without!The root of the chicory plant is long and thick, like the tap-root of the dandelion. When dried, roasted and ground, it makes an excellent substitute for coffee. There is no caffeine in chicory, and it produces a more 'roasted' flavour than coffee does. Many coffee producers offer blends with up to 30% chicory, which cuts down on the caffeine content of your cup. But many folk enjoy a cup of 'coffee' made entirely from ground, roasted chicory.Another perk about chicory is that it's more soluble in water than coffee, which means you use a lot less of it when brewing. Very economical for someone on a tight budget.Chicory also offers extra health benefits that you wouldn't normally get from your cup of coffee. It is reported to help cleanse the blood and improve the health of your liver.The young leaves can be used in salads, and the root can also be boiled and eaten like a vegetable (it's related to endive and radicchio). It's also grown for cattle food in Europe. The flowers are blue-purple, and will open and close at precisely the same time every day.But what does it taste like?IT TASTES LIKE CRAP ....... and no .... not Civet crap ...... tried it twice ..... and kicked myself the second time for being so stupid to try it twice .... they drink it a lot in Louisiana ..... especially in the Bayou Country ....... definitely will make your mouth pucker ..... and something else too ..... :as-if: :hystery: :hystery:

Edited January 26, 2012 by Mike S

[JJReyes]

The 2007 movie "The Bucket List" starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman made fun about "Kopi Luwak" (civet coffee) from Indonesia. It is actually considered the most expensive coffee in the world with prices reaching $160 per pound. Most of the stuff they sell in the Philippines is fake.

[i am bob]

The 2007 movie "The Bucket List" starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman made fun about "Kopi Luwak" (civet coffee) from Indonesia. It is actually considered the most expensive coffee in the world with prices reaching $160 per pound. Most of the stuff they sell in the Philippines is fake.

So that would make the Philippine Civet coffee a "fake fake cat poo drink"....? Edited January 26, 2012 by i am bob

[Tatoosh]

Actually closer to 800 dollars a pound and up. Vietnamese version goes for thousands of dollars. And some classify the palm civet as being a member of the weasel family, not cat. Because they forage only perfectly ripe coffee "cherries" to eat, that makes them even more selective than the sharpest eyed human coffee picker. The processing of the cherry and resulting travel of the remaining coffee bean through their system, some believe it does change the taste. For better or worse is quite subjective. I've read a good human gatherer can find up to 1 kilo of of the remains for processing. I am curious how much the guys doing the actual harvesting in the forests make compared to what it goes for after roasting. I've read of different coffee shops and restaurants serving a single cup for $50 to $100. Not your average joe's cup of coffee. But people eat all sorts of things. Japanese foodies risk their lives for specific puffer fish and a few die every year, it seems. Compared to dying for a bit of fish, the coffee seems kinda mundane.

[JJReyes]

Sorry about the typo. It's $1600 per pound for Indonesian "Kopi Luwat." Nearly all the gourmet coffee produced worldwide goes to Japan. The $50 to $150 a cup, no refills, is for Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee or 100% Hawaiian Premium Kona Coffee. What they sell in Hawaii tourist shops is a blend. The state requirement is 10% Kona grown and the remaining 90% can come from anywhere.By the way, the Hawaiian Macadamia nuts are mostly grown in Fiji. The Philippines is becoming another large supplier through farms owned by investors from Hawaii.